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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 120 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. charge — electricity
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. chair — a leader
  6. club — for golf
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lean — thin
  12. club — for dancing
  13. perch — the fish
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. charge — a price
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lean — to bend
  19. deal — to handle
  20. charge — in control
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rest — what's left
  24. club — a group

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