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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.

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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: straw · coach · kick · staff · present · club

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. club — for dancing
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. present — the time now
  5. club — for golf
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. present — a gift
  8. staff — a stick
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. kick — in football
  12. club — a group
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. present — there
  15. staff — employees
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. staff — employees

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