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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · coach · charge · kick · ground · branch · chair · game

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. ground — a position
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — in control
  11. kick — in football
  12. game — a match
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. charge — a price
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. branch — a division
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. ground — the earth

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