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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
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: bass · spell · stand · coach · scale · spring · hide · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bass — low music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. spell — letters
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bass — the fish
  10. spell — magic
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. spring — of water
  15. scale — in music
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. spring — the season
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. scale — size or range
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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