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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.

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: staff · chair · coach · track · game · bay · leaves · rash

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. chair — a leader
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. track — a path
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. track — a song
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rash — a series
  17. track — to keep track
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. staff — employees
  23. game — a match
  24. leaves — to go away

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