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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: bass · mug · leaves · cabinet · fork · dip · coach · degree

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fork — in a road
  3. dip — to sink
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mug — a cup
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. degree — from a university
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. degree — temperature
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bass — the fish
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mug — to rob
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mug — a face

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