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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: tube · charge · arm · coach · bat · band · date · race

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. tube — a container
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. date — the fruit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. charge — a price
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. band — a ring
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. race — a contest
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. tube — the underground

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