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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bank — for money
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bank — for money
  12. race — a contest
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bank — of a river
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bore — to drill
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bore — to tire
  22. chip — for betting
  23. race — humankind
  24. file — a line of people

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