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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 120 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: chip · coach · chair · bark · plane · rush

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. 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. coach — a trainer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. plane — a tool
  12. chair — a leader
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rush — hurry
  18. 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