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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 120 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: bass · calf · chair · mark · coach · patient · bear · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bass — low music
  4. season — in sport
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bear — the animal
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. season — of the year
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bass — the fish
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mark — a trace
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mark — a grade

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