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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: cell · coach · net · cabinet · plane · rock · ruler · chip

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. net — after costs
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. chip — for betting
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rock — a stone
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chip — to eat
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ruler — for measuring

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