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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · coach · wake · row · bass · court · band · club

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fine — high quality
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bass — the fish
  13. club — a group
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wake — a trail
  16. court — for sport
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fine — all right
  19. court — of law
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. court — of a king
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com