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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 116 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. object — a thing
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. band — a ring
  5. ground — a position
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wind — moving air
  8. land — a country
  9. object — an aim
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wind — moving air
  12. band — a music group
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. object — to protest
  16. ground — the earth
  17. land — ground
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. land — to come down
  24. ground — crushed

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