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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: season · bulb · suit · last · coach · band · race · key

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. suit — to fit
  3. last — to go on
  4. bulb — for light
  5. band — a music group
  6. season — of the year
  7. key — for a lock
  8. last — final
  9. bulb — for light
  10. band — a ring
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. key — the most important part
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. key — in music
  19. last — finally
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. race — the arms race

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