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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: mug · bass · wave · coach · pound · drill · mine · mouse

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bass — low music
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mug — to rob
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mug — a face
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pound — a weight
  20. drill — army training
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pound — for dogs

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