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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: object · coach · rock · pitch · charge · fan · race · chair

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. charge — electricity
  4. object — a thing
  5. race — the arms race
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rock — music
  8. race — humankind
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. race — a contest
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pitch — completely
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. object — to protest
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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