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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 · mouse · bat · capital · bear · chip · track · staff

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. staff — employees
  6. chip — for betting
  7. staff — employees
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bat — the animal
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. capital — a city
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. track — a path
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. track — to keep track
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. staff — a stick
  21. capital — money
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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