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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pass — a permit
  3. season — in sport
  4. object — an aim
  5. season — of the year
  6. drill — a practice
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mate — a friend
  10. object — a thing
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. drill — army training
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. object — to protest
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. mate — a partner

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