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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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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: rock · coach · bay · pound · race · net · chair · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pound — a weight
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. net — after costs
  7. race — humankind
  8. rock — a stone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. charge — in control
  11. net — in sport
  12. charge — a price
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. rock — music
  17. chair — a leader
  18. net — for catching
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pound — for dogs

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