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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. charge — in control
  3. net — for catching
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. charge — electricity
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. degree — temperature
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. net — after costs
  12. face — part of the head
  13. charge — a price
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rule — a law
  16. face — to point toward
  17. lie — to recline
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. stand — to bear
  20. face — to confront
  21. rule — government
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. net — in sport
  24. rule — to rule out

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