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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: staff · net · row · squash · mark · snap · pit · coach

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. staff — a stick
  3. pit — a hole
  4. snap — to click
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mark — a trace
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. net — after costs
  18. mark — a grade
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. row — to paddle
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. squash — to crush

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