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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: current · net · leaves · club · coach · march · court · pop

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. march — music
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. march — the month
  6. club — for dancing
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pop — soda
  9. court — of a king
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. current — electric
  12. court — of law
  13. current — happening now
  14. march — the month
  15. net — in sport
  16. club — a group
  17. current — of water
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. court — for sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. pop — to visit
  22. net — after costs
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pop — music

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