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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. charge — a price
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. firm — a company
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. firm — steady
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. kick — in football
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. perch — the fish
  13. firm — decided
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. chair — a leader
  18. squash — to crush
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. charge — electricity
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. squash — the sport
  24. charge — in control

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