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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rest — a break
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. land — to come down
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. spring — the season
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. charge — electricity
  15. land — a country
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. spring — a coil
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. land — ground
  23. spring — of water
  24. coach — a trainer

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