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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.

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: chair · scale · coach · season · pass · tube · wind · drill

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wind — moving air
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. drill — army training
  8. tube — the underground
  9. season — of the year
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chair — a leader
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. tube — a container
  19. season — in sport
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. scale — in music
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. drill — a practice

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