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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cue — a signal
  8. hand — help
  9. charge — electricity
  10. chair — a leader
  11. charge — a price
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bear — the animal
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bear — the animal
  17. charge — in control
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cue — for pool
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. cue — a hint
  24. hand — part of the body

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