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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. board — a committee
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. charge — electricity
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stock — goods
  11. file — a line of people
  12. charge — a price
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stock — shares
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. board — to get on
  18. date — the fruit
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. charge — in control
  24. chair — to sit on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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