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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 116 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: sharp · vault · season · file · straw · fine · coach · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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. fine — all right
  4. season — in sport
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. club — for dancing
  7. file — a document
  8. season — of the year
  9. file — a tool
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. club — a group
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. vault — a safe
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fine — high quality
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. straw — dry grass

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