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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: jam · cap · coach · rock · charge · mine · plane · swing

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rock — music
  4. swing — music
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. charge — a price
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cap — a lid
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. charge — in control
  11. plane — a tool
  12. charge — electricity
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cap — a hat
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. jam — a tight spot

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