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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: fork · track · coach · swing · bass · dip · suit · wound

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — to fit
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. suit — in cards
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. track — to keep track
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. swing — in golf
  18. dip — to sink
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. swing — music
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fork — in a road

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