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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: root · chair · swing · stand · saw · shower · coach · mate

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. swing — music
  5. shower — to wash
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. root — of a word
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mate — a partner
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stand — to bear
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. root — the cause
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. swing — to play on
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  24. coach — a trainer

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