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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: net · charge · tube · coach · board · fine · face · cell

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. net — in sport
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. charge — a price
  6. cell — a phone
  7. tube — a container
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. board — to get on
  12. face — to point toward
  13. board — a committee
  14. charge — electricity
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. charge — in control
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. net — after costs
  19. face — to confront
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. tube — the underground
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cell — in biology
  24. net — for catching

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