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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: pop · branch · roll · present · mark · season · coach · row

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pop — soda
  5. roll — a cake
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. present — a gift
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. row — to paddle
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. pop — music
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. roll — a list
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mark — a trace
  19. season — of the year
  20. branch — a division
  21. season — in sport
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pop — to visit
  24. row — a line

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