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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: chair · racket · pitcher · net · fan · stock · coach · present

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. net — after costs
  5. present — there
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. present — a gift
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stock — shares
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. net — in sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. net — for catching
  18. chair — a leader
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stock — goods
  23. present — the time now
  24. chair — to sit on

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