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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 · bark · roll · stand · dip · coach · season · pitcher

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. season — in sport
  6. bark — to shout
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. staff — employees
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. roll — a cake
  14. stand — to bear
  15. staff — employees
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. roll — a list
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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