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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: fork · chip · mate · coach · game · face · toast · spell

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mate — a friend
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. spell — letters
  10. game — wild animals
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mate — a partner
  15. game — a match
  16. face — to point toward
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mate — to breed
  19. toast — bread
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. face — to confront
  22. fork — in a road
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. spell — magic

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