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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. root — of a plant
  4. capital — money
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. root — of a word
  10. swing — music
  11. court — of a king
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. chair — a leader
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. court — of law
  19. cell — a phone
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. charge — a price
  22. root — the cause
  23. charge — in control
  24. court — for sport

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