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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. charge — electricity
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mug — a face
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. row — to paddle
  15. tube — a container
  16. cell — in biology
  17. prune — to trim
  18. row — a line
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cell — a phone
  21. foot — a measure
  22. charge — a price
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. foot — the bottom

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