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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: coach · chest · net · mouse · mark · bass · stick · rock

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bass — low music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. net — in sport
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rock — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — for catching
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. chest — a box
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mark — a trace

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