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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: drill · key · bay · coach · bass · press · kid · calf

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. key — for a lock
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. drill — army training
  7. key — in music
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bass — the fish
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. key — the most important part
  18. kid — child
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. drill — a practice
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. drill — the tool
  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