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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. capital — money
  4. chair — a leader
  5. race — humankind
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pit — a hole
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pit — in a race
  21. charge — a price
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. capital — a city
  24. charge — electricity

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