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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.

Words on the sheet
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: bore · coach · deal · plane · chip · bark · capital · ball

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bark — to shout
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bore — to drill
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a city
  10. bore — to tire
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ball — a dance
  13. deal — to handle
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. plane — a tool
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. ball — a great time
  24. coach — a trainer

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