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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: bass · snap · stand · pit · coach · net · mine · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pit — a hole
  4. track — a song
  5. stand — to bear
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. net — after costs
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. net — in sport
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. snap — to click
  14. net — for catching
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pit — in a race
  17. track — a path
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bass — low music
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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