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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. can — a tin
  3. charge — a price
  4. object — to protest
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. march — the month
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. row — a line
  12. charge — in control
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. can — to be able to
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. can — a tin
  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