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

Word bank: bear · stick · coach · charge · wake · row · racket · pit

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. charge — in control
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. charge — a price
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pit — a hole
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pit — in a race
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. charge — electricity
  17. row — to paddle
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bear — the animal
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bear — to put up with

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