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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: hand · coach · wake · cap · fine · pop · present · date

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pop — to visit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wake — a trail
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fine — all right
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cap — of ice
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. present — there
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pop — soda
  17. fine — high quality
  18. hand — help
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pop — music
  22. present — a gift
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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