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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · degree · chair · temple · pop · drill · can · ball

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. drill — army training
  3. pop — music
  4. can — to be able to
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. degree — from a university
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. can — a tin
  17. chair — a leader
  18. drill — the tool
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pop — soda

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