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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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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: coach · present · bay · race · date · leaves · fork · bass

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. race — humankind
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. fork — in a road
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. race — a contest
  7. present — a gift
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. present — there
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bass — the fish
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bass — low music
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. present — the time now
  24. date — on the calendar

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