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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.

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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: board · coach · club · bear · charge · pop · stem · bat

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. board — a committee
  7. club — a group
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pop — soda
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. board — to get on
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. club — for golf
  24. bear — to put up with

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