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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
468
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: wake · key · fall · club · content · stand · fan · coach

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stand — to bear
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. wake — a trail
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. key — the most important part
  12. content — happy
  13. club — for dancing
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. key — in music
  20. fall — the season
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fall — to drop
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — videos and posts

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