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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 120 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: coach · calf · dip · ball · can · pit · chip · game

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. chip — for betting
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. dip — to sink
  10. can — a tin
  11. pit — a hole
  12. can — a tin
  13. ball — a great time
  14. chip — to eat
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. game — a match
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pit — in a race

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