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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: charge · coach · pound · squash · bowl · chair · land · club

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. charge — in control
  7. land — ground
  8. club — a group
  9. chair — a leader
  10. club — for golf
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. land — to come down
  13. pound — a weight
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. club — for dancing
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. squash — to crush
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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