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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spring — the season
  5. clip — to cut
  6. suit — clothes
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. clip — a video
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. spring — of water
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bank — for money
  15. spring — a coil
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. suit — to fit
  19. charge — electricity
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. clip — for paper
  24. suit — in cards

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