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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: coach · cap · chair · pit · temple · jam · rash · file

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. file — a line of people
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. cap — a hat
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. file — a document
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pit — a hole
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cap — of ice
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. file — a tool
  21. rash — a series
  22. pit — in a race
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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