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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: nail · charge · vault · field · fine · spring · club · coach

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. club — a group
  3. spring — a coil
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. field — a subject
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. vault — a safe
  11. field — for sport
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. field — farmland
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — for golf
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fine — a penalty

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