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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · chip · leaves · suit · coach · tube · bark · mine

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. game — wild animals
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. suit — in cards
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. game — a match
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. tube — a container
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mine — for digging
  21. tube — the underground
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. suit — to fit
  24. leaves — of a tree

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