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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 · mate · season · wake · leaves · sharp · bank · pitch

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bank — for money
  7. mate — to breed
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. season — of the year
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. season — in sport
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mate — a partner
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sports field

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