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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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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: bass · mark · bulb · club · pitcher · sharp · coach · stand

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bass — the fish
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. club — a group
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bass — low music
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bulb — for light
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. club — for golf

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