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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: cap · squash · fan · stock · jam · coach · pass · club

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. club — for golf
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stock — goods
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. club — for dancing
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stock — shares
  14. squash — the sport
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cap — of ice
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cap — a hat
  20. club — a group
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fan — to cool the air

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