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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 · mate · chip · lie · pound · rock · root · pitcher

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. lie — to recline
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rock — a stone
  17. root — of a plant
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rock — music
  24. lie — an untruth

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