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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. swing — music
  12. face — to confront
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. face — part of the head
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stock — goods
  17. chair — a leader
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stock — shares
  20. swing — in golf
  21. face — to point toward
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. temple — a place of worship

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