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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: march · club · coach · chair · dip · staff · mug · leaves

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. march — the month
  3. staff — employees
  4. mug — a cup
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. staff — employees
  7. chair — a leader
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mug — a face
  12. dip — to sink
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mug — to rob
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. club — for golf
  19. march — the month
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. club — a group
  23. march — music
  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