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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 124 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. charge — a price
  4. rule — government
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. charge — in control
  7. pop — soda
  8. lie — to recline
  9. season — of the year
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. chair — a leader
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bat — the animal
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rule — a law
  22. season — in sport
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. lie — an untruth

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