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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pit — a hole
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. charge — a price
  5. roll — a cake
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. charge — in control
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. toast — bread
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. key — in music
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. capital — a city
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. roll — a list
  22. chair — a leader
  23. capital — money
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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