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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
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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: pitcher · coach · cue · scale · suit · season · pop · bore

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — clothes
  5. scale — size or range
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pop — music
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bore — to drill
  13. scale — in music
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pop — soda
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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