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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.

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: fine · chip · field · can · mate · fall · coach · key

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. fall — the season
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fall — to drop
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fine — high quality
  16. key — in music
  17. field — a subject
  18. can — a tin
  19. key — for a lock
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. field — farmland
  23. mate — a partner
  24. field — for sport

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