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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: season · coach · racket · pass · scale · craft · rest · lean

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rest — a break
  5. season — in sport
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. lean — thin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. craft — boats
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pass — a permit
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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