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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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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: racket · lean · bowl · band · coach · club · chip · fork

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. band — a ring
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lean — thin
  10. chip — to eat
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. band — a music group
  16. lean — to bend
  17. chip — for betting
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. club — for golf
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fork — in a road
  24. chip — in a computer

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