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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: roll · fine · season · track · bark · racket · coach · net

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. season — in sport
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fine — all right
  7. roll — a cake
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. season — of the year
  10. net — in sport
  11. bark — to shout
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. track — a path
  16. net — after costs
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. track — to keep track
  19. roll — a list
  20. track — a song
  21. net — for catching
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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