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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: board · stock · season · cap · cold · coach · bank · pass

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bank — for money
  3. season — in sport
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stock — shares
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bank — for money
  12. board — a committee
  13. stock — goods
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cold — an illness
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. board — to get on
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cold — not warm
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. season — of the year

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