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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mark — a grade
  7. land — to come down
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. charge — in control
  10. mark — a trace
  11. game — wild animals
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rock — a stone
  14. foot — a measure
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. charge — a price
  18. chair — a leader
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. land — ground
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. land — a country

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