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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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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rock — music
  4. drill — army training
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. staff — employees
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. file — a document
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — a group
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. mug — to rob
  18. club — for dancing
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mug — a face
  21. rock — a stone
  22. drill — a practice
  23. file — a tool
  24. drill — the tool

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