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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: charge · pound · bulb · date · spring · cabinet · cell · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cell — a phone
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. charge — in control
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pound — a weight
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. date — the fruit
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. charge — a price
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. spring — the season
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. spring — of water

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