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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rash — hasty
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rash — a series
  6. pass — a permit
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. capital — a city
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. perch — the fish
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. charge — a price
  15. chair — a leader
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. capital — money
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. charge — in control

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