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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: coach · land · tube · fall · ball · pitch · charge · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. land — ground
  6. fall — the season
  7. pitch — completely
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lie — to recline
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. ball — a great time
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fall — to drop
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. charge — a price
  24. lie — an untruth

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