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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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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: club · coach · bowl · toast · land · cap · stand · wax

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cap — a hat
  15. land — ground
  16. club — for golf
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. club — a group
  23. toast — bread
  24. club — for dancing

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