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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. arm — a part of something
  3. tube — the underground
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. file — a tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. charge — electricity
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pitch — completely
  12. file — a document
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. file — a line of people
  18. tube — a container
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. charge — a price
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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