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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: branch · chair · coach · pitcher · season · race · straw · charge

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. race — the arms race
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. race — humankind
  19. branch — a division
  20. race — a contest
  21. charge — in control
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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