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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: last · bowl · mug · bass · coach · stick · kick · season

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mug — a face
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bass — low music
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bass — the fish
  22. last — final
  23. kick — in football
  24. mug — to rob

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