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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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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: coach · tube · fine · wave · cell · cue · chip · branch

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fine — high quality
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cue — a signal
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cue — a hint
  10. tube — a container
  11. cell — a phone
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cell — in biology
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fine — all right
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. chip — to eat
  24. coach — a trainer

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