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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: date · content · chip · current · temple · coach · plane · wind

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chip — for betting
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chip — to eat
  9. content — the amount
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wind — moving air
  13. date — the fruit
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. content — happy
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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