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

Word bank: march · coach · ruler · race · chair · chip · wind · temple

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chip — for betting
  4. march — the month
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chip — to eat
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. march — the month
  10. race — humankind
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. race — the arms race
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. march — music
  17. chair — a leader
  18. race — a contest
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. ruler — a monarch

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