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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. club — for golf
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cue — a hint
  8. charge — in control
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. field — a subject
  11. cue — for pool
  12. club — a group
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. field — for sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. club — for dancing
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. charge — a price
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. chair — a leader
  24. field — farmland

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