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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: bay · chair · chip · net · racket · game · face · coach

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. face — part of the head
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chip — to eat
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. face — to confront
  9. chair — a leader
  10. net — in sport
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. face — to point toward
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chip — for betting
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. net — for catching
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. net — after costs

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