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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.

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: coach · wax · march · club · degree · bay · season · fine

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. club — for dancing
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. degree — temperature
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. club — a group
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. degree — an amount
  12. march — the month
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. club — for golf
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wax — in the ear

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