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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: season · chair · swing · mark · coach · calf · suit · bowl

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chair — a leader
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mark — a trace
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. suit — clothes
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mark — a grade
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. swing — music
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. calf — a young animal

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