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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: chair · stock · band · toast · coach · wave · mug · squash

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stock — goods
  7. squash — the sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mug — a face
  10. stock — shares
  11. mug — a cup
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. band — a ring
  15. squash — to crush
  16. chair — a leader
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. band — a music group
  21. toast — bread
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. squash — the vegetable

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