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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: jam · branch · cap · chip · racket · coach · plane · race

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. chip — for betting
  12. cap — a lid
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. branch — a division
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. race — a contest
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cap — of ice
  23. plane — a tool
  24. jam — in traffic

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