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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. charge — in control
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. last — final
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. charge — a price
  11. rash — hasty
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. last — to go on
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. chair — a leader
  17. charge — electricity
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rash — a series
  24. last — finally

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