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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. charge — electricity
  3. present — there
  4. charge — a price
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. firm — steady
  11. present — the time now
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — in control
  17. present — a gift
  18. firm — decided
  19. pass — a permit
  20. chair — a leader
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pitcher — a jug

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