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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: degree · suit · bore · mate · pass · coach · land · season

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. degree — from a university
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mate — a partner
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mate — a friend
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. season — of the year
  16. mate — to breed
  17. degree — temperature
  18. land — ground
  19. season — in sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. land — a country
  22. degree — an amount
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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