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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. pop — to visit
  5. charge — in control
  6. file — a document
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pop — soda
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. charge — electricity
  18. file — a tool
  19. band — a ring
  20. pop — music
  21. band — a music group
  22. charge — a price
  23. file — a line of people
  24. tube — the underground

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