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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: pop · coach · club · racket · date · fan · stand · straw

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. club — for golf
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. date — the fruit
  16. pop — to visit
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pop — music
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. straw — a straw man

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