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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: mug · fall · coach · ground · temple · bat · chip · deal

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ground — crushed
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fall — the season
  8. ground — the earth
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mug — a cup
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mug — a face
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ground — a position
  19. fall — to drop
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mug — to rob
  24. temple — a place of worship

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