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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: spell · band · charge · coach · squash · pitch · rest · bank

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. band — a ring
  3. rest — what's left
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. spell — letters
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — in control
  9. spell — magic
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bank — for money
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitch — completely
  19. spell — a short time
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bank — for money
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bank — of a river

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