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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.

Make a worksheet

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: staff · sharp · land · club · current · coach · cabinet · spring

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. club — for dancing
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. current — happening now
  7. club — for golf
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. staff — employees
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. staff — a stick
  15. spring — of water
  16. staff — employees
  17. land — a country
  18. spring — the season
  19. land — to come down
  20. club — a group
  21. spring — a coil
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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