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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 116 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: rock · snap · ball · bass · nail · coach · bat · scale

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. snap — to click
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bass — low music
  8. rock — music
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bat — the animal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a great time
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. scale — in music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bass — the fish
  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