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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
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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: fan · season · staff · club · coach · swing · pit · cue

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. staff — a stick
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cue — a hint
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cue — for pool
  12. staff — employees
  13. club — for golf
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. season — of the year
  16. pit — in a race
  17. season — in sport
  18. club — for dancing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. club — a group
  21. staff — employees
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pit — a hole
  24. swing — in golf

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