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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: craft · chip · pop · staff · coach · key · wake · club

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pop — soda
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pop — to visit
  7. craft — boats
  8. pop — music
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. key — in music
  13. chip — to eat
  14. key — for a lock
  15. chip — for betting
  16. key — the most important part
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. staff — employees
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. club — for dancing
  23. staff — employees
  24. craft — a skill

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