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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: degree · club · staff · chip · coach · band · mouse · ground

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. staff — employees
  4. degree — from a university
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ground — crushed
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. club — a group
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. degree — temperature
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. degree — an amount
  17. club — for golf
  18. ground — a position
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. club — for dancing
  21. ground — the earth
  22. band — a ring
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. band — a music group

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