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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: row · mouse · bowl · chip · spell · cue · band · coach

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cue — a signal
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. chip — for betting
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. row — a line
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spell — letters
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. row — to paddle
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. band — a ring
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. band — a music group
  24. bowl — a football final

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