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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · coach · season · game · dip · stand · key · rule

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stand — to bear
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. season — of the year
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. key — for a lock
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. key — in music
  14. game — a match
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rule — government
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. season — in sport
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. key — the most important part
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. dip — to sink

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