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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: craft · bat · coach · season · fan · foot · rush · pop

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. season — of the year
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pop — music
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. craft — boats
  21. pop — soda
  22. craft — a skill
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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