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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: cell · wax · tube · coach · pop · can · season · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. can — a tin
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pop — soda
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pop — music
  16. can — to be able to
  17. season — in sport
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. tube — a container
  20. season — of the year
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fork — in a road
  24. can — a tin

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