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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 116 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: band · club · pitch · coach · wake · march · net · key

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. key — in music
  5. march — the month
  6. net — for catching
  7. pitch — completely
  8. key — for a lock
  9. club — for golf
  10. band — a ring
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. march — the month
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. club — a group
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. march — music
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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