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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: chip · bore · racket · craft · can · present · pit · coach

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pit — a hole
  3. craft — boats
  4. can — a tin
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. present — the time now
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bore — to drill
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bore — to tire
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pit — in a race
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. craft — a skill

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