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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.

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: bass · season · lash · pit · pop · staff · coach · race

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. race — a contest
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. staff — employees
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. season — of the year
  10. staff — a stick
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. staff — employees
  15. pit — in a race
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. race — humankind
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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