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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 120 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: chair · calf · club · cabinet · season · dip · track · band

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. band — a ring
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chair — a leader
  8. track — a song
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. track — a path
  13. season — of the year
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. season — in sport
  18. track — to keep track
  19. club — for golf
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. band — a music group
  24. calf — a young animal

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