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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: charge · tube · coach · swing · ruler · date · pitch · root

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. charge — in control
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pitch — completely
  8. date — the fruit
  9. charge — electricity
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. root — of a word
  13. charge — a price
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. root — the cause
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. swing — music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. swing — in golf
  24. ruler — for measuring

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