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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: bowl · coach · dip · fine · row · board · cue · season

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. season — of the year
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. board — to get on
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fine — all right
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cue — a hint
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. season — in sport
  17. board — a committee
  18. cue — for pool
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cue — a signal

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