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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.

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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: game · coach · pitcher · leaves · bay · bass · roll · mate

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. roll — a cake
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. roll — a list
  13. bass — low music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mate — a friend
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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