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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 116 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: mate · mug · coach · bat · game · bark · bass · fan

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. game — a match
  9. mug — a face
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mate — a partner
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bass — low music
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bat — the animal
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mate — a friend

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