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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: chip · coach · kid · charge · plane · ball · net · march

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. net — in sport
  3. chip — to eat
  4. march — music
  5. net — for catching
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. march — the month
  9. ball — a dance
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. charge — a price
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kid — child
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. march — the month
  17. charge — electricity
  18. chip — for betting
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. charge — in control
  22. net — after costs
  23. kid — to tease
  24. ball — a great time

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