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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: coach · pitcher · charge · press · swing · kid · track · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. track — a path
  5. drill — the tool
  6. press — newspapers
  7. kid — to tease
  8. swing — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. press — to push
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. charge — in control
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. press — a publisher
  19. charge — a price
  20. kid — child
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. charge — electricity
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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