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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: mate · sharp · charge · pitch · perch · coach · wax · bound

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. sharp — clever
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. charge — a price
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bound — certain
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pitch — completely
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pitch — a sports field

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