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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: pit · staff · land · coach · club · rest · march · tube

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. tube — a container
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. march — the month
  7. rest — what's left
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. club — for golf
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rest — a break
  17. staff — a stick
  18. land — to come down
  19. pit — a hole
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. club — a group
  23. staff — employees
  24. tube — the underground

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