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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 116 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: season · saw · cabinet · track · safe · march · coach · cap

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. march — the month
  3. season — of the year
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cap — a hat
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. saw — the tool
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. season — in sport
  13. cap — of ice
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cap — a lid
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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