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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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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: chip · calf · coach · spring · fork · racket · pop · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pop — to visit
  3. spring — the season
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. chip — for betting
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spring — of water
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fork — in a road
  24. chip — in a computer

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