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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: saw · dip · pop · coach · season · object · cap · fine

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. object — to protest
  3. cap — a lid
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cap — of ice
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fine — all right
  10. season — in sport
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pop — music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. season — of the year
  16. pop — to visit
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pop — soda
  20. dip — to sink
  21. object — an aim
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. object — a thing
  24. cap — a hat

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