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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: coach · bass · wound · ball · staff · drill · chip · rush

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. staff — employees
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rush — hurry
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. staff — employees
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bass — low music
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. staff — a stick
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wound — an injury
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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