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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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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: charge · dip · face · bark · coach · cue · chip · roll

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. face — part of the head
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bark — to shout
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cue — a signal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. charge — electricity
  15. face — to point toward
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. dip — to sink
  18. charge — a price
  19. face — to confront
  20. charge — in control
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. roll — a list
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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