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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: charge · ruler · dip · court · band · pit · row · coach

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. row — a line
  3. pit — a hole
  4. court — of a king
  5. band — a music group
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. charge — in control
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. court — for sport
  13. charge — a price
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. court — of law
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. dip — to sink
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pit — in a race
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. band — a rubber band

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