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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 116 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: race · coach · rush · bear · pit · chip · swing · charge

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rush — hurry
  4. chip — for betting
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bear — the animal
  8. race — the arms race
  9. swing — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bear — the animal
  17. charge — a price
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. race — humankind
  23. charge — in control
  24. coach — a trainer

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