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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: cap · foot · coach · staff · club · bulb · wake · fork

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bulb — for light
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. foot — a measure
  5. staff — employees
  6. cap — a lid
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. bulb — for light
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. staff — a stick
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. staff — employees
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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