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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: hand · mug · present · sharp · track · coach · charge · club

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. club — for golf
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. track — a song
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. charge — a price
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. charge — in control
  11. mug — a cup
  12. club — for dancing
  13. mug — to rob
  14. club — a group
  15. track — a path
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mug — a face
  19. hand — help
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. track — to keep track
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. present — a gift
  24. hand — in cards

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