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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: coach · chip · root · fork · arm · mate · net · track

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. track — a path
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mate — a partner
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fork — in a road
  10. net — in sport
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chip — for betting
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mate — a friend
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. track — to keep track
  19. root — of a word
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. root — the cause
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. track — a song
  24. mate — to breed

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