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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · capital · wave · coach · chip · firm · rock · saw

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. firm — steady
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mate — to breed
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. capital — money
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. firm — decided
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mate — a friend
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rock — music
  19. capital — a city
  20. firm — a company
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rock — a stone

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