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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 116 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: staff · chip · face · mine · ball · fall · coach · pop

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fall — the season
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pop — soda
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. chip — to eat
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pop — music
  17. chip — for betting
  18. face — part of the head
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. staff — employees
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mine — an explosive

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