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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: march · chip · trunk · can · toast · coach · kick · present

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. kick — in football
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. march — music
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. can — a tin
  8. march — the month
  9. present — the time now
  10. march — the month
  11. present — there
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. can — to be able to
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. present — a gift
  16. toast — bread
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. chip — to eat
  19. can — a tin
  20. chip — for betting
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. kick — a thrill

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