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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: tube · present · bound · rush · chip · coach · clip · craft

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. tube — the underground
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bound — tied together
  5. present — a gift
  6. clip — a video
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. chip — for betting
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. present — the time now
  13. tube — a container
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bound — certain
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. clip — for paper
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bound — obliged
  20. craft — boats
  21. present — there
  22. clip — to cut
  23. rush — hurry
  24. coach — a trainer

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