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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: hand · leaves · bear · coach · bat · stick · spring · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bat — the animal
  9. hand — in cards
  10. club — for dancing
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spring — the season
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spring — of water
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. spring — a coil
  20. club — for golf
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hand — help
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. coach — a trainer

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