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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: pound · hide · chair · coach · spring · chip · object · drill

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. spring — a coil
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. drill — a practice
  8. object — a thing
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. drill — army training
  11. chip — for betting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. object — to protest
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spring — of water
  19. drill — the tool
  20. object — an aim
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pound — a weight
  24. spring — the season

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