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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
468
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: lean · coach · game · date · pop · club · sharp · staff

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. club — a group
  3. game — a match
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pop — to visit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. sharp — clever
  8. club — for dancing
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. date — the fruit
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. staff — employees
  16. game — wild animals
  17. staff — employees
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pop — soda
  20. club — for golf
  21. pop — music
  22. staff — a stick
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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