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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: band · cap · board · wave · club · coach · bass · bay

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. club — for golf
  5. cap — of ice
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. board — to get on
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bass — low music
  13. club — a group
  14. band — a ring
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bass — the fish
  22. band — a music group
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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