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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.

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: fine · perch · drill · coach · pit · staff · club · jam

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. club — a group
  6. pit — in a race
  7. club — for golf
  8. perch — the fish
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. club — for dancing
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fine — high quality
  14. drill — army training
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. drill — a practice
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. staff — employees
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. drill — the tool
  21. fine — all right
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pit — a hole

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