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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.

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: coach · file · bat · trunk · craft · ball · cap · bass

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. craft — boats
  6. bass — the fish
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ball — a great time
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. cap — of ice
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bat — the animal
  16. craft — a skill
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bass — low music
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. file — a tool
  21. cap — a hat
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. trunk — of a car

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