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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 · pass · pitcher · bear · wind · cell · branch

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. charge — a price
  5. cell — a phone
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pass — a permit
  11. charge — in control
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bear — the animal
  21. branch — a division
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wind — to turn a key

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