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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 · drill · foot · pitcher · toast · coach · scale · saw

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. foot — a measure
  3. drill — a practice
  4. scale — in music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. charge — in control
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. drill — the tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. drill — army training
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. toast — bread
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. charge — a price
  24. foot — part of the body

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