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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: mark · mate · roll · date · cap · coach · game · season

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. roll — a list
  3. cap — a hat
  4. season — of the year
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mark — a grade
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. roll — a cake
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cap — a lid
  17. game — a match
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cap — of ice
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mark — a trace
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. coach — a trainer

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