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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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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cap — a lid
  5. game — a match
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rock — music
  9. game — wild animals
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cap — of ice
  17. hand — help
  18. season — of the year
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. march — music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cap — a hat
  23. march — the month
  24. hand — in cards

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