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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: coach · object · fork · club · game · can · chest · racket

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. object — to protest
  5. chest — a box
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fork — in a road
  8. chest — of your body
  9. club — for golf
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. can — a tin
  14. object — an aim
  15. game — a match
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chest — of your body
  19. can — a tin
  20. object — a thing
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. can — to be able to

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