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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bank — for money
  3. squash — the sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. present — the time now
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. present — there
  10. bank — of a river
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bank — for money
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. charge — a price
  24. chair — to sit on

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