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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · file · mug · rule · bass · coach · fork · present

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. file — a document
  8. present — the time now
  9. bass — the fish
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. file — a tool
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rule — a law
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fork — in a road
  22. rule — government
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mug — a face

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