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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
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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: coach · toast · chip · mouse · fine · cap · bark · land

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. chip — for betting
  3. land — to come down
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bark — to shout
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cap — a lid
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. land — ground
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. toast — bread
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. land — a country
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fine — a penalty

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