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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: charge · cabinet · shower · pitch · coach · mug · row · track

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pitch — completely
  3. track — a song
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mug — a cup
  8. track — a path
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. row — a line
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mug — to rob
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. charge — electricity
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. shower — rain
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. charge — a price
  20. row — to paddle
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mug — a face
  23. charge — in control
  24. cabinet — ministers

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