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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. chair — a leader
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ground — a position
  6. race — the arms race
  7. charge — in control
  8. race — humankind
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stand — to bear
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. ground — the earth
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. current — happening now
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. ground — crushed
  20. current — electric
  21. race — a contest
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. current — of water

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