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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: ball · bear · chip · scale · season · coach · mark · track

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. season — of the year
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bear — the animal
  5. track — a path
  6. ball — a dance
  7. track — to keep track
  8. chip — to eat
  9. season — in sport
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. scale — in music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mark — a trace
  18. track — a song
  19. bear — the animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mark — a grade

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