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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.

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: fall · track · perch · season · roll · coach · cap · rule

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. rule — government
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cap — a hat
  5. season — in sport
  6. track — a song
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. track — a path
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. season — of the year
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rule — a law
  14. fall — the season
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cap — a lid
  17. track — to keep track
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. roll — a cake
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. roll — a list
  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