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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.

Words on the sheet
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: tube · board · track · bulb · bass · racket · coach · mine

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tube — the underground
  3. track — to keep track
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tube — a container
  6. track — a song
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. board — a committee
  9. bass — low music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. track — a path
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bulb — for light
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. coach — a trainer

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