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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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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. face — to point toward
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. can — a tin
  5. face — to confront
  6. charge — a price
  7. cue — for pool
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chair — a leader
  11. face — part of the head
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. charge — electricity
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mug — a face
  18. degree — temperature
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. can — a tin
  22. charge — in control
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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