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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: pitcher · coach · charge · race · bank · clip · fine · fork

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bank — of a river
  3. race — humankind
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bank — for money
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. race — a contest
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. charge — in control
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. clip — to cut
  16. charge — a price
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. race — the arms race
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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