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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: row · pop · season · coach · pound · fan · wax · pass

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. season — in sport
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pop — soda
  5. row — a line
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pop — music
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pop — to visit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. season — of the year
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. row — a quarrel

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