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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: bat · charge · land · club · bowl · coach · mark · cap

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. land — ground
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. charge — in control
  5. land — to come down
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cap — a hat
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mark — a trace
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. club — for golf
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. land — a country
  18. club — a group
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bat — the animal
  21. charge — a price
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bat — for baseball

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