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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. fork — in a road
  3. charge — a price
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rush — hurry
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. charge — in control
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fork — a garden tool

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