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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 116 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: pop · coach · stick · rest · fine · rash · chip · wind

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rest — a break
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pop — soda
  9. rash — a series
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pop — music
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fine — all right
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rash — on the skin

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