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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: root · coach · straw · charge · suit · rash · clip · pitcher

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. root — of a word
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. clip — for paper
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rash — hasty
  8. suit — to fit
  9. clip — a video
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rash — a series
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a plant
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. suit — clothes
  24. charge — in control

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