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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · coach · rash · season · trunk · field · bowl · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pop — to visit
  8. charge — in control
  9. season — in sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. pop — music
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rash — hasty
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pop — soda
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. rash — a series
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — a subject

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