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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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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. charge — in control
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. deal — to handle
  8. charge — a price
  9. band — a ring
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. hand — help
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bear — the animal
  20. band — a music group
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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