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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 116 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
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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: mine · pitcher · season · sharp · staff · lean · coach · stand

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. 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. sharp — exactly
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. staff — employees
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stand — to bear
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lean — thin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mine — for digging
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. staff — a stick
  23. season — of the year
  24. staff — employees

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