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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. charge — in control
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stock — shares
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rule — a law
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. kick — in football
  15. rule — government
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stock — goods
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. ground — a position
  24. date — on the calendar

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