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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 · foot · row · chair · drill · clip · coach · pitcher

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. clip — for paper
  4. charge — a price
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chair — a leader
  9. clip — to cut
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. clip — a video
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. row — to paddle
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. drill — the tool
  22. row — a line
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pitcher — in 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