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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 120 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: mate · coach · nail · bear · mine · ground · bass · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mate — to breed
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. band — a music group
  8. bear — the animal
  9. band — a ring
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ground — a position
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bass — the fish

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