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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: racket · track · charge · sharp · coach · bat · fan · club

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. sharp — clever
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. charge — electricity
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. club — for dancing
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. club — a group
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. track — a path
  18. club — for golf
  19. track — a song
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bat — the animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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