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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · pop · mine · racket · pass · mouse · ground · rest

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pop — soda
  3. pass — a permit
  4. ground — a position
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pop — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rest — a break
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. coach — a trainer

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