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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
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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 · pitcher · game · squash · stock · object · arm · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. staff — employees
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. staff — a stick
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stock — shares
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. staff — employees
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. game — a match
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. object — an aim
  23. squash — to crush
  24. game — a kind of play

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