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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.

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: field · object · charge · coach · staff · club · cell · mine

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. club — a group
  5. object — an aim
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. staff — employees
  8. charge — in control
  9. club — for golf
  10. staff — a stick
  11. field — for sport
  12. charge — electricity
  13. staff — employees
  14. field — a subject
  15. club — for dancing
  16. object — a thing
  17. mine — for digging
  18. field — farmland
  19. object — to protest
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cell — a phone
  22. charge — a price
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mine — belonging to me

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