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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: fork · face · deal · pitcher · charge · kid · mate · coach

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. charge — in control
  3. deal — to handle
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. charge — a price
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. kid — child
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fork — in a road
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mate — a friend
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. face — to point toward
  21. kid — to tease
  22. charge — electricity
  23. face — to confront
  24. fork — a garden tool

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