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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: season · can · club · bound · mark · coach · date · chair

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. club — for dancing
  5. can — to be able to
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bound — certain
  11. club — a group
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mark — a trace
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bound — obliged
  17. season — of the year
  18. club — for golf
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. mark — a grade
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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