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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: charge · rule · pitch · wake · pound · clip · coach · plane

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. clip — to cut
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rule — government
  6. pound — a weight
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wake — a trail
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. clip — a video
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. charge — a price
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. clip — for paper
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. charge — in control
  23. rule — a law
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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