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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 120 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: chip · coach · sharp · stem · pit · swing · fall · leaves

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pit — in a race
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. swing — to play on
  6. chip — for betting
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. swing — music
  10. fall — the season
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pit — a hole
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. chip — to eat
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stem — to come from
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fall — to drop
  24. sharp — exactly

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