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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · coach · charge · kick · racket · stock

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stock — goods
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stock — shares
  9. kick — in football
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. charge — in control
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. chair — a leader
  18. charge — electricity

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