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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: season · chip · temple · land · cap · pitcher · mug · coach

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. land — a country
  4. chip — to eat
  5. season — of the year
  6. cap — a hat
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. season — in sport
  9. cap — of ice
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. land — ground
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mug — a face
  18. land — to come down
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mug — a cup
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mug — to rob
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pitcher — a jug

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