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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 120 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: cap · shower · chip · coach · season · deal · can · drill

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. can — a tin
  5. drill — the tool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. season — of the year
  8. drill — a practice
  9. season — in sport
  10. cap — a hat
  11. chip — to eat
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. shower — to wash
  17. can — a tin
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — to handle
  21. shower — rain
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. drill — army training
  24. deal — an agreement

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