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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pass — a permit
  9. ball — a dance
  10. march — music
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. charge — a price
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. ball — a great time

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