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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 120 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: object · coach · calf · key · bass · row · fan · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. object — to protest
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bass — low music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. row — to paddle
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. object — an aim
  16. row — a line
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. object — a thing
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bass — the fish
  24. net — after costs

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