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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 116 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: cell · bat · pitcher · charge · coach · leaves · mate · tube

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. charge — electricity
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mate — a friend
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. charge — a price
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. charge — in control
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. cell — a phone
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bat — the animal
  17. tube — a container
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mate — to breed
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cell — in biology

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