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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: coach · date · shower · wax · field · pass · roll · jam

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. field — a subject
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. date — the fruit
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. shower — rain
  12. field — farmland
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. roll — a cake
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wax — to grow
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. roll — a list
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. field — for sport
  24. pass — a permit

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