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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: coach · pitch · wake · clip · foot · charge · spring · cap

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. spring — of water
  8. charge — in control
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. clip — a video
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cap — of ice
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. clip — for paper
  16. charge — a price
  17. spring — the season
  18. cap — a lid
  19. charge — electricity
  20. clip — to cut
  21. cap — a hat
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wake — a trail

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