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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: pass · coach · chip · cap · date · nail · staff · march

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cap — of ice
  5. march — the month
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. march — the month
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pass — a permit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. staff — employees
  17. chip — for betting
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. march — music
  23. staff — employees
  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