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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cue — a signal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. perch — the fish
  5. hand — help
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. tube — a container
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bank — of a river
  15. hand — in cards
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bank — for money
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bank — for money
  23. tube — the underground
  24. hand — part of the body

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