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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: bowl · coach · wake · pit · cold · jam · saw · leaves

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pit — in a race
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cold — an illness
  10. wake — a trail
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pit — a hole
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cold — not warm
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. saw — the tool

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