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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mug — to rob
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. lean — thin
  5. charge — electricity
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. charge — in control
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. date — the fruit
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pitch — completely
  16. chair — a leader
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mug — a face
  19. lean — to bend
  20. charge — a price
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. net — after costs
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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