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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. charge — in control
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pop — music
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ball — a dance
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cell — in biology
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. degree — temperature
  17. charge — a price
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. degree — from a university
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pop — to visit
  22. degree — an amount
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pop — soda

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