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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.

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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: stand · club · chip · cap · pop · fall · swing · coach

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pop — music
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pop — soda
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cap — a lid
  8. chip — for betting
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. swing — music
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. club — for golf
  19. fall — the season
  20. swing — in golf
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pop — to visit
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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