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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.

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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: track · coach · firm · chair · spell · can · bass · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. can — a tin
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wind — moving air
  7. can — a tin
  8. spell — magic
  9. track — a path
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chair — a leader
  12. spell — letters
  13. bass — the fish
  14. firm — steady
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. track — a song
  17. spell — a short time
  18. track — to keep track
  19. firm — decided
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bass — low music
  22. can — to be able to
  23. firm — a company
  24. wind — to turn a key

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