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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: pass · band · craft · fan · chip · land · coach · board

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. craft — boats
  4. land — to come down
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. chip — to eat
  7. board — a committee
  8. band — a ring
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. band — a music group
  11. pass — a permit
  12. board — to get on
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. chip — for betting
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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