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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.

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: object · racket · charge · coach · mouse · field · chair · patient

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. charge — electricity
  5. field — a subject
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. object — a thing
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. charge — in control
  13. field — for sport
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. object — an aim
  17. chair — a leader
  18. object — to protest
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. field — farmland
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. charge — a price

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