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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: row · coach · game · can · charge · chest · pop · ball

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. charge — a price
  5. can — a tin
  6. ball — a great time
  7. row — to paddle
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. row — a line
  13. charge — electricity
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pop — soda
  17. charge — in control
  18. can — to be able to
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pop — music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. pop — to visit

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