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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 · coach · row · drill · ball · rock · date · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. ball — a dance
  5. row — a line
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. row — to paddle
  9. season — of the year
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rock — music
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. drill — a practice
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. season — in sport
  19. date — the fruit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. ball — a round shape
  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