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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: coach · ball · lie · bass · row · pitch · mouse · jam

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. lie — to recline
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. ball — a dance
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bass — low music
  19. row — a line
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. row — to paddle
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. lie — an untruth

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