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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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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: suit · coach · saw · charge · pitch · bank · pop · straw

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. suit — clothes
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pop — soda
  7. charge — a price
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pop — music
  10. suit — to fit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. suit — in cards
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. charge — in control
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pitch — completely

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