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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: mine · object · charge · stand · roll · cue · coach · rash

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cue — a hint
  3. charge — a price
  4. roll — a list
  5. rash — hasty
  6. roll — a cake
  7. charge — in control
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cue — a signal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. object — to protest
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. object — an aim
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rash — a series
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mine — for digging
  23. stand — to bear
  24. object — a thing

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