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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: key · charge · bulb · coach · bat · hand · suit · last

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. last — to go on
  3. charge — a price
  4. bulb — for light
  5. key — for a lock
  6. charge — in control
  7. key — in music
  8. last — final
  9. charge — electricity
  10. key — the most important part
  11. suit — to fit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bat — the animal
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bulb — for light
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. last — finally
  24. hand — help

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