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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: kid · bass · coach · hide · bound · chip · spell · firm

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. firm — steady
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bound — obliged
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bound — tied together
  9. spell — magic
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. spell — letters
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. firm — a company
  14. kid — child
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bass — low music
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bound — certain
  19. firm — decided
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bass — the fish
  22. spell — a short time
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. kid — to tease

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