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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 120 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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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: present · charge · root · current · coach · kid · stand · fall

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. fall — the season
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. root — the cause
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kid — child
  13. current — happening now
  14. kid — to tease
  15. current — of water
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. current — electric
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. present — a gift
  21. root — of a word
  22. present — the time now
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. present — there

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