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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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468
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: cell · chip · land · charge · row · calf · coach · prune

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chip — to eat
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. charge — in control
  9. land — to come down
  10. cell — a phone
  11. charge — electricity
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. row — a line
  14. land — ground
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — a price
  18. chip — for betting
  19. land — a country
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cell — in biology
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. prune — the fruit

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