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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 124 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: bass · ground · can · ball · saw · season · branch · coach

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. can — a tin
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ball — a great time
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. ball — a dance
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. can — to be able to
  16. season — of the year
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bass — low music
  19. can — a tin
  20. season — in sport
  21. branch — a division
  22. bass — the fish
  23. ground — crushed
  24. branch — of a bank

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