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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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468
Word bank
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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pit — a hole
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. march — the month
  11. chair — a leader
  12. rash — a series
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. charge — a price
  16. rush — hurry
  17. march — music
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. march — the month
  21. rash — hasty
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. swing — 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