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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 116 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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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: coach · content · rest · net · leaves · club · pitch · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. club — for golf
  4. rest — what's left
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rest — what's left
  9. content — the amount
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. content — happy
  13. club — a group
  14. pitch — completely
  15. net — for catching
  16. kid — child
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. net — in sport
  20. rest — a break
  21. club — for dancing
  22. net — after costs
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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