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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · key · fork · cell · coach · jam · cap · field

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cell — a phone
  3. season — of the year
  4. cap — of ice
  5. key — in music
  6. cap — a lid
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cap — a hat
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. field — farmland
  14. fork — in a road
  15. field — for sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. field — a subject
  24. fork — a garden tool

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