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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: cell · pit · coach · dip · chip · track · bear · fall

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. track — to keep track
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. track — a path
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pit — in a race
  17. track — a song
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fall — to drop
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fall — the season
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pit — a hole

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