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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: current · bowl · saw · coach · bass · leaves · object · bat

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. object — an aim
  3. bass — low music
  4. object — to protest
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. current — of water
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. object — a thing
  17. current — happening now
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. current — electric
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bowl — a football final

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