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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. charge — in control
  3. ball — a great time
  4. row — to paddle
  5. charge — electricity
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rule — a law
  9. charge — a price
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chip — for betting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. row — a line
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rule — government
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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