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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: club · stand · craft · mug · coach · row · bulb · trunk

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. craft — boats
  8. mug — to rob
  9. row — a line
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. club — for golf
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. club — a group
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — a cup
  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