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

Word bank: craft · pass · coach · cell · fork · date

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pass — a permit
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cell — in biology
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. craft — a skill
  11. date — the fruit
  12. craft — boats
  13. cell — a phone
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cell — in a prison

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