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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: field · coach · net · chip · dip · swing · sharp · bound

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. swing — to play on
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. swing — in golf
  6. net — for catching
  7. field — farmland
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — after costs
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. net — in sport
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. field — for sport
  17. bound — certain
  18. swing — music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bound — tied together
  22. field — a subject
  23. bound — obliged
  24. chip — to eat

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