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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cell — a phone
  3. chair — a leader
  4. pit — in a race
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mark — a grade
  10. charge — in control
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pit — a hole
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cell — in biology
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. charge — a price

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