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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: coach · drill · club · bulb · stand · file · spell · tube

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. drill — a practice
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. drill — army training
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bulb — for light
  13. file — a document
  14. tube — a container
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. spell — magic
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. club — for golf
  23. drill — the tool
  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