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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.

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: net · stick · can · chair · coach · bass · spring · pound

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bass — the fish
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spring — of water
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spring — a coil
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. spring — the season
  15. net — after costs
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. net — in sport
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bass — low music
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pound — for dogs

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