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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: board · bat · mug · bass · coach · mouse · net · can

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bass — low music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mug — to rob
  8. can — a tin
  9. board — a committee
  10. net — for catching
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mug — a face
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. board — to get on
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. can — a tin
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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