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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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468
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: saw · coach · rule · stand · swing · bowl · bat · bass

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rule — a law
  7. swing — music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rule — government
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bat — for baseball

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