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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. charge — in control
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. object — to protest
  7. charge — electricity
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. march — the month
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. present — the time now
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. present — there
  17. charge — a price
  18. cap — a hat
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. march — the month
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. march — music
  24. present — a gift

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