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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: bound · pitcher · arm · coach · bat · cell · mate · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bound — certain
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bound — obliged
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mate — a partner
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cell — a phone
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mate — to breed
  24. arm — a part of something

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