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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: key · coach · pit · charge · tear · wind · bass · court

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. wind — moving air
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. tear — from crying
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. key — for a lock
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. pit — a hole
  15. court — for sport
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. charge — a price
  18. bass — low music
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pit — in a race
  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