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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 · root · staff · last · hand · chip · rest

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. root — of a word
  3. staff — employees
  4. chip — to eat
  5. hand — in cards
  6. chip — for betting
  7. root — the cause
  8. staff — employees
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rest — a break
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rest — what's left
  15. last — finally
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. last — final
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. club — for golf
  21. hand — help
  22. club — for dancing
  23. root — of a plant
  24. last — to go on

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