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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: charge · prune · pitcher · temple · drill · coach · mug · stock

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mug — a face
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mug — to rob
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. charge — electricity
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. drill — army training
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stock — shares
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — a price
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stock — goods
  22. prune — to trim
  23. charge — in control
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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