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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: net · capital · scale · chip · coach · wind · roll · tube

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — in music
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. tube — a container
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tube — the underground
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. net — in sport
  13. scale — size or range
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. capital — a city
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. chip — for betting
  19. roll — a list
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. capital — money
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. roll — a cake

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