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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: mine · jam · club · chair · mark · nail · chip · coach

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mark — a grade
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. chip — for betting
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — for golf
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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