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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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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: coach · bat · pit · jam · can · toast · snap · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. can — to be able to
  4. toast — bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. can — a tin
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. can — a tin
  20. snap — to click
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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