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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. drill — the tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. toast — bread
  12. spell — letters
  13. drill — army training
  14. club — for golf
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. charge — in control
  17. club — for dancing
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. charge — electricity
  22. club — a group
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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