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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: chip · coach · bowl · mug · wound · court · cabinet · fall

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. fall — the season
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. court — of a king
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — for sport
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. court — of law
  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