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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 116 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: land · fork · fine · bass · cell · racket · lash · coach

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fine — all right
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. land — ground
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bass — low music
  8. fine — high quality
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. land — to come down
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bass — the fish
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. land — a country
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fork — in a road
  24. racket — for tennis

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