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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: coach · chip · bay · roll · branch · toast · kid · bulb

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bulb — for light
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. toast — bread
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. kid — to tease
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. kid — child
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. roll — a list
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chip — for betting
  24. roll — a cake

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