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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
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: chip · coach · rock · charge · patient · mate · chest · net

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. chest — of your body
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. net — for catching
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rock — music
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. mate — to breed
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rock — a stone
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. charge — a price
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chip — for betting
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mate — a partner
  20. chest — a box
  21. chip — to eat
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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