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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
468
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: snap · staff · racket · coach · degree · bear · rash · net

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. degree — from a university
  5. net — for catching
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. staff — employees
  8. degree — an amount
  9. staff — employees
  10. bear — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. snap — to click
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rash — a series
  16. staff — a stick
  17. degree — temperature
  18. net — in sport
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. net — after costs
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. racket — for tennis

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