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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 · present · fan · coach · band · track · racket · wind

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — there
  3. track — a path
  4. present — a gift
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. track — a song
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. track — to keep track
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. band — a music group
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wind — moving air

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