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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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. season — to add flavour
  4. dip — to sink
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. charge — electricity
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bark — to shout
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. season — of the year
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. charge — a price
  23. roll — a list
  24. season — in 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