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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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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: club · band · toast · swing · pitch · coach · deal · craft

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. swing — to play on
  6. club — for dancing
  7. toast — bread
  8. swing — music
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. band — a music group
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. deal — to handle
  13. club — for golf
  14. craft — boats
  15. club — a group
  16. craft — a skill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pitch — completely
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. band — a ring

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