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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. suit — clothes
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. suit — in cards
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. charge — in control
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — money
  18. charge — a price
  19. chair — a leader
  20. capital — a city
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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