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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ground — crushed
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rule — a law
  8. charge — a price
  9. ground — a position
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. current — happening now
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. current — of water
  17. charge — in control
  18. current — electric
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — a trail
  24. charge — electricity

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