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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 · club · coach · deal · stand · court · cabinet · craft

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. craft — boats
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stand — to bear
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. court — of law
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. deal — to handle
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. court — for sport
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. club — for dancing
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. court — of a king
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. staff — employees
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cabinet — ministers

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