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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: fall · stick · bowl · coach · bass · cue · deal · pop

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — soda
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bass — low music
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fall — the season
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pop — music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fall — to drop
  24. deal — a big deal

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