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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: row · plane · chip · coach · cold · pop · craft · cue

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. chip — to eat
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cue — a hint
  6. row — a line
  7. cue — a signal
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. chip — for betting
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pop — to visit
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. craft — boats
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pop — music
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cue — for pool
  20. plane — a tool
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pop — soda
  23. cold — not warm
  24. coach — a trainer

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