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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 116 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: track · coach · bulb · season · pass · swing · object · rash

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. object — an aim
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. track — a song
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rash — hasty
  8. object — to protest
  9. season — of the year
  10. track — a path
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. object — a thing
  14. pass — a permit
  15. swing — to play on
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. season — in sport
  19. rash — a series
  20. bulb — for light
  21. swing — music
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. track — to keep track

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