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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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468
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: wind · jam · pop · bass · coach · racket · dip · branch

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bass — low music
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pop — music
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. branch — a division
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bass — the fish

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