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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · pitch · snap · pop · charge · staff · date · bay

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. charge — electricity
  3. staff — employees
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pop — to visit
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. pitch — completely
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. staff — employees
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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