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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tube — the underground
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. staff — employees
  12. charge — electricity
  13. swing — music
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. swing — in golf
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. swing — to play on
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. chair — a leader

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