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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: coach · game · bat · chip · toast · sharp · calf · bank

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bank — for money
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bat — the animal
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. chip — for betting
  12. game — wild animals
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bank — of a river
  15. toast — bread
  16. chip — to eat
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bank — for money
  22. sharp — clever
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. game — a match

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