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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: staff · coach · bass · ball · squash · march · drill · pop

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. march — the month
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. drill — the tool
  4. march — music
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ball — a dance
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. staff — employees
  16. bass — low music
  17. pop — soda
  18. march — the month
  19. squash — to crush
  20. drill — army training
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. squash — the sport
  23. ball — a great time
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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