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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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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: jam · club · key · firm · fall · court · coach · chip

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. key — the most important part
  3. chip — for betting
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. firm — decided
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. court — for sport
  11. firm — a company
  12. club — for golf
  13. key — for a lock
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. court — of law
  16. key — in music
  17. court — of a king
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fall — the season
  21. firm — steady
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. club — a group
  24. coach — a trainer

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