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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: rock · pass · deal · coach · fork · safe · cold · season

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rock — a stone
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rock — music
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pass — a permit
  13. season — in sport
  14. cold — not warm
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fork — in a road
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. season — of the year

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