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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pit — in a race
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mate — to breed
  7. current — happening now
  8. chest — a box
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chest — of your body
  12. current — of water
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stock — shares
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. charge — a price
  20. stock — goods
  21. chair — a leader
  22. current — electric
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. charge — in control

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