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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 120 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: pitcher · charge · cell · coach · court · arm · current · staff

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. staff — employees
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cell — a phone
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. current — happening now
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. court — of law
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. charge — in control
  17. cell — in biology
  18. current — electric
  19. charge — electricity
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. current — of water
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. coach — a trainer
  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