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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 120 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: track · season · coach · game · straw · net · chair · rush

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. net — in sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. track — to keep track
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rush — hurry
  10. net — after costs
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. game — a match
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. season — in sport
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. season — of the year
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. season — to add flavour

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