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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: tear · suit · charge · pound · degree · court · saw · coach

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. court — for sport
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. charge — a price
  6. court — of law
  7. suit — in cards
  8. charge — in control
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. court — of a king
  12. charge — electricity
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. tear — to rip
  15. saw — the tool
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pound — a weight
  24. suit — clothes

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