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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: band · lean · squash · date · chip · foot · coach · cap

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cap — a lid
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. squash — to crush
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lean — thin
  7. chip — for betting
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. date — the fruit
  15. chip — to eat
  16. band — a ring
  17. lean — to bend
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. band — a music group

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