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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: pit · season · scale · pass · coach · bowl · face · band

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. face — to point toward
  4. band — a music group
  5. scale — in music
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. band — a ring
  8. face — part of the head
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pit — a hole
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pit — in a race
  22. face — to confront
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. band — a rubber band

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