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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. charge — electricity
  4. cue — for pool
  5. charge — a price
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. drill — a practice
  8. charge — in control
  9. cue — a hint
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. present — there
  15. cue — a signal
  16. present — a gift
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. chest — a box
  24. present — the time now

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