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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pit — in a race
  4. charge — a price
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rock — music
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rule — government
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. race — a contest
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. race — humankind
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. charge — in control
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rule — a law

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