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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.

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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: staff · pass · land · pitcher · game · fall · coach · chair

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. land — a country
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fall — to drop
  9. staff — employees
  10. game — a match
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pass — a permit
  16. staff — employees
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. land — ground
  20. game — wild animals
  21. staff — a stick
  22. land — to come down
  23. pass — to succeed
  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