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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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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: bound · coach · wind · calf · chip · scale

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. scale — in music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wind — moving air
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bound — certain
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bound — obliged
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. calf — a young animal

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