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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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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: rush · court · march · coach · board · press · charge · tube

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. press — newspapers
  5. march — the month
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — a container
  8. charge — a price
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. court — of a king
  12. charge — in control
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. charge — electricity
  17. tube — the underground
  18. press — a publisher
  19. court — of law
  20. march — music
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. court — for sport
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. press — to push

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