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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 116 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: coach · chair · bound · staff · rock · pop · race · capital

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bound — obliged
  4. staff — employees
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. staff — a stick
  7. race — the arms race
  8. capital — money
  9. pop — music
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rock — music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. race — a contest
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pop — soda
  16. race — humankind
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bound — tied together
  19. staff — employees
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. capital — a city
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bound — certain

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