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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.

Words on the sheet
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 · track · board · rest · court · band · mine · coach

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mine — for digging
  3. band — a music group
  4. track — to keep track
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. court — of law
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rest — what's left
  9. court — of a king
  10. band — a ring
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. court — for sport
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. track — a path
  16. chip — for betting
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. board — to get on
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. track — a song

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