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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · present · charge · cold · plane · coach · racket · ground

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. charge — a price
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. present — the time now
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cap — of ice
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ground — crushed
  14. cold — an illness
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. present — a gift
  18. charge — in control
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. present — there
  21. plane — a tool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. plane — an aircraft

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