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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: season · current · bark · court · coach · stick · pitcher · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. current — of water
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. club — for dancing
  6. current — electric
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bark — to shout
  11. season — of the year
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. court — for sport
  14. club — a group
  15. court — of a king
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. current — happening now
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. court — of law
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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