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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
468
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: bear · fan · chip · coach · degree · stand · deal · net

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chip — to eat
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. degree — temperature
  7. net — after costs
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. net — for catching
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chip — for betting
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. degree — from a university
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. net — in sport
  24. deal — to handle

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