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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: safe · mug · coach · court · pitcher · press · charge · rest

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mug — a cup
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mug — to rob
  5. court — for sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rest — what's left
  10. charge — in control
  11. rest — what's left
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. press — to push
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mug — a face
  16. court — of a king
  17. press — a publisher
  18. charge — a price
  19. press — newspapers
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rest — a break
  23. court — of law
  24. pitcher — a jug

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