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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: game · stand · wake · mate · club · coach · rule · chest

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. club — for golf
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stand — to bear
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. club — for dancing
  8. chest — a box
  9. game — a match
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rule — a law
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rule — government
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. game — wild animals
  22. club — a group
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chest — of your body

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