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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
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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: mine · racket · cap · object · fall · coach · kick · bass

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mine — for digging
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cap — a lid
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. kick — in football
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fall — to drop
  16. object — an aim
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fall — the season
  19. bass — low music
  20. object — a thing
  21. bass — the fish
  22. object — to protest
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fall — to drop

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