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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cold — not warm
  4. rash — a series
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. march — the month
  8. last — final
  9. chair — a leader
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — an illness
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. charge — electricity
  19. march — the month
  20. charge — in control
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. march — music
  23. last — finally
  24. charge — a price

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