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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 · bore · clip · charge · bark · pitcher · straw · mug

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bore — to tire
  3. charge — in control
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bore — to drill
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mug — a face
  21. bark — to shout
  22. clip — to cut
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. charge — a price

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