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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 116 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: perch · rest · coach · mug · pitcher · ball · land · charge

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. land — ground
  6. mug — to rob
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ball — a dance
  11. land — a country
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mug — a face
  15. charge — a price
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rest — a break
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ball — a great time
  23. land — to come down
  24. charge — in control

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