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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 120 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: racket · staff · rush · coach · deal · club · foot · stock

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. club — a group
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. club — for dancing
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. club — for golf
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. staff — employees
  16. rush — hurry
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. staff — employees
  22. foot — a measure
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rush — a thrill

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