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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. charge — in control
  9. clip — to cut
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mark — a trace
  14. squash — to crush
  15. clip — a video
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pound — a weight
  18. drill — army training
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. drill — the tool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. charge — a price

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