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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: coach · wave · firm · craft · cold · tube · chip · capital

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chip — for betting
  5. tube — the underground
  6. craft — a skill
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. capital — a city
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. capital — money
  14. chip — to eat
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. firm — a company
  17. cold — an illness
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cold — not warm
  23. craft — boats
  24. tube — a container

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