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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: club · firm · net · season · coach · cue · cell · vault

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. cell — in biology
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cue — a signal
  5. season — of the year
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cue — a hint
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cue — for pool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. net — for catching
  13. club — a group
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. net — in sport
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. season — in sport
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. club — for dancing
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. net — after costs

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