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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: fine · tube · pitcher · charge · wound · fork · coach · season

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fine — high quality
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. charge — in control
  6. tube — the underground
  7. season — in sport
  8. wound — an injury
  9. tube — a container
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wound — an injury
  13. season — of the year
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. charge — a price
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fine — all right
  21. fork — in a road
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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