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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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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: chair · roll · racket · stand · pit · coach · season · net

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. net — in sport
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. pit — in a race
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. net — after costs
  8. season — of the year
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stand — to bear
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. roll — a cake
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. net — for catching
  19. season — in sport
  20. roll — a list
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pit — a hole

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