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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.

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: bank · cue · leaves · pit · season · mate · coach · row

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. row — a line
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. season — of the year
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mate — a partner
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bank — for money
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. season — in sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. coach — a trainer

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