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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: bay · coach · bass · plane · sharp · fan · row · club

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. sharp — clever
  8. plane — a tool
  9. row — to paddle
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. club — for dancing
  16. row — a line
  17. club — for golf
  18. bass — the fish
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. club — a group

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