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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 120 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: squash · wind · mark · firm · coach · march · bowl · chair

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. march — the month
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — decided
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. firm — steady
  13. chair — a leader
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. squash — the sport

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