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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: squash · chair · dip · temple · coach · stand · club · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mine — for digging
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stand — to bear
  9. club — for golf
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. squash — the sport
  12. club — a group
  13. squash — to crush
  14. chair — a leader
  15. club — for dancing
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. dip — to sink
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stand — on your feet

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