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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.

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: clip · march · degree · pop · leaves · charge · stand · coach

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. march — the month
  8. degree — from a university
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — electricity
  11. degree — temperature
  12. charge — in control
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. charge — a price
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. clip — to cut
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. stand — to bear
  22. clip — for paper
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. clip — a video

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