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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. cap — a hat
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. game — a match
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pop — soda
  16. charge — electricity
  17. game — wild animals
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pop — to visit
  20. charge — in control
  21. pop — music
  22. stem — to come from
  23. charge — a price
  24. cap — a lid

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