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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 · rash · press · land · coach · pitch · court · bay

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. charge — a price
  3. land — ground
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rash — hasty
  6. press — to push
  7. court — of a king
  8. charge — electricity
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rash — a series
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. press — newspapers
  13. court — of law
  14. charge — in control
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. land — a country
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. land — to come down
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pitch — completely
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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