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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
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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 · club · pitcher · game · sharp · face · rash · suit

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. face — to confront
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. suit — clothes
  8. rash — a series
  9. game — wild animals
  10. face — to point toward
  11. game — a match
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rash — hasty
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. suit — to fit
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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