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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cell — in biology
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. charge — in control
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. charge — a price
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cell — a phone
  18. charge — electricity

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