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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · squash · temple · present · bear · coach · degree · track

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. staff — employees
  5. present — there
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. present — the time now
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. staff — a stick
  10. degree — temperature
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. staff — employees
  13. track — a path
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. track — a song
  16. squash — to crush
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bear — the animal
  22. degree — from a university
  23. squash — the sport
  24. track — to keep track

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