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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bass · shower · fine · press · coach · plane · pit · mouse

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fine — all right
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bass — low music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. press — newspapers
  8. shower — rain
  9. pit — in a race
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pit — a hole
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bass — the fish
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. press — to push
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. shower — to wash

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