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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 · roll · wake · spell · board · saw · date · track

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. track — a song
  3. board — a committee
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spell — magic
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. roll — a cake
  13. spell — letters
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. track — a path
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. spell — a short time
  22. board — to get on
  23. roll — a list
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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