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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rock — a stone
  3. chair — a leader
  4. drill — the tool
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rock — music
  8. drill — army training
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. face — to confront
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. charge — a price

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