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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 120 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: pit · bass · rule · wave · leaves · coach · sharp · track

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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. sharp — exactly
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. track — to keep track
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. track — a song
  16. sharp — clever
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. track — a path
  24. leaves — to go away

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