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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. charge — electricity
  3. firm — decided
  4. branch — a division
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mark — a trace
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. firm — a company
  17. charge — in control
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mark — a grade
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. firm — steady
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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