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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pass — a permit
  4. season — in sport
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. swing — in golf
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. season — of the year
  13. bank — of a river
  14. swing — music
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. sharp — clever
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pass — to spend time

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