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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. charge — a price
  4. track — a path
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. last — finally
  9. charge — in control
  10. mate — to breed
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cell — a phone
  14. chair — a leader
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mate — a friend
  17. last — to go on
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. ball — a dance
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cell — in biology
  24. track — a song

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