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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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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: key · club · bear · squash · toast · chest · chip · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. club — for golf
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. chip — to eat
  7. club — a group
  8. key — in music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. chest — of your body
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. toast — bread
  14. key — for a lock
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. club — for dancing
  17. chip — for betting
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. key — the most important part

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