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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 · ruler · hide · club · drill · degree

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mate — a partner
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. degree — an amount
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mate — a friend
  14. drill — the tool
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — for dancing
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. drill — army training
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — temperature
  22. chip — to eat
  23. club — a group
  24. mate — to breed

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