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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: lie · coach · pass · bass · firm · fork · fan · game

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. game — a match
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. firm — a company
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bass — low music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. firm — steady
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — decided

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