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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · game · charge · band · wind · pass · vault · coach

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. band — a music group
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. court — of law
  11. charge — in control
  12. vault — a safe
  13. court — of a king
  14. band — a ring
  15. game — a match
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wind — moving air
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. court — for sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. charge — a price

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