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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.

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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: coach · suit · land · toast · cell · deal · bass · racket

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. toast — bread
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. land — to come down
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bass — the fish
  12. land — a country
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. suit — clothes
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. land — ground
  19. cell — a phone
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bass — low music
  24. suit — in cards

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