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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: craft · lean · march · staff · club · coach · drill · suit

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. suit — in cards
  3. craft — boats
  4. drill — a practice
  5. march — the month
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lean — thin
  8. march — music
  9. suit — clothes
  10. drill — the tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. drill — army training
  14. staff — a stick
  15. club — for golf
  16. lean — to bend
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. march — the month
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. suit — to fit
  21. staff — employees
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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