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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · club · rush · fork · chair · temple · trunk · coach

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. chair — a leader
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. club — for dancing
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fork — in a road
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. board — to get on
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. club — for golf

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