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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. club — for golf
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cue — for pool
  8. chair — a leader
  9. club — a group
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cue — a signal
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. club — for dancing
  17. charge — in control
  18. capital — money
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. sharp — clever
  21. capital — a city
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pass — a permit
  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