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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 120 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: foot · coach · pitch · cold · pop · mug · club · stem

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mug — a cup
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pitch — completely
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. club — a group
  16. pop — music
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mug — a face
  20. club — for golf
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pop — soda
  24. foot — a measure

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