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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: saw · tube · calf · season · chip · coach · wound · capital

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. capital — money
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wound — an injury
  10. season — in sport
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. capital — a city
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. wound — an injury
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. season — of the year
  21. saw — the tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. coach — a trainer

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