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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: fine · fan · coach · spring · game · spell · bass · pass

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. spell — letters
  3. game — wild animals
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bass — the fish
  7. game — a match
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. spell — magic
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fine — high quality
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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