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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chair — a leader
  4. charge — electricity
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. charge — a price
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pop — to visit
  14. foot — a measure
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fork — in a road
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pop — soda
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. charge — in control
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pop — music

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