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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: coach · file · chair · kid · fine · can · chip · perch

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. kid — to tease
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fine — all right
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. can — to be able to
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — a tin
  12. fine — high quality
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. perch — the fish
  17. kid — child
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chair — a leader
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. can — a tin
  24. perch — for a bird

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