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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. march — the month
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. suit — clothes
  10. march — music
  11. charge — in control
  12. suit — to fit
  13. march — the month
  14. net — after costs
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. charge — electricity
  18. degree — an amount
  19. net — in sport
  20. charge — a price
  21. net — for catching
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. chair — a professorship

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