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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cue — a hint
  6. charge — in control
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. charge — electricity
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. cue — a signal
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rock — music
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. firm — steady
  19. pit — a hole
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bark — of a tree

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