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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: stick · coach · bowl · plane · mate · kid · charge · board

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. charge — electricity
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mate — to breed
  13. plane — a tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. kid — to tease
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mate — a partner
  19. board — a committee
  20. kid — child
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. board — to get on

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