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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · date · net · toast · craft · stand · coach · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stand — to bear
  4. craft — a skill
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. net — after costs
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. game — wild animals
  12. roll — a cake
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. toast — bread
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. game — a match
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. date — the fruit
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. game — a kind of play

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