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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 · spell · fork · chair · pit · coach · current · calf

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fork — in a road
  5. spell — letters
  6. current — happening now
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cell — in biology
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. chair — a leader
  18. spell — magic
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. current — of water
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pit — a hole
  24. current — electric

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