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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: fine · coach · deal · pop · spell · fork · bass · mine

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pop — music
  3. bass — low music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spell — letters
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fork — in a road
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fine — all right
  18. spell — magic
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. fine — high quality

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