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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 · row · chair · suit · coach · drill · pitch · race

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. drill — army training
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. drill — the tool
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. row — a line
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pitch — completely
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — to paddle
  15. suit — in cards
  16. race — a contest
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. season — of the year
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. race — the arms race
  22. drill — a practice
  23. season — in sport
  24. race — humankind

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