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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 120 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 · chest · perch · kick · bay · game · staff · coach

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kick — in football
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. staff — employees
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. season — in sport
  8. staff — a stick
  9. chest — of your body
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. season — of the year
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. game — wild animals
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chest — of your body
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. staff — employees
  20. game — a match
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. chest — a box
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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