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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. track — a song
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. spring — of water
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. charge — electricity
  13. race — humankind
  14. scale — in music
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. track — a path
  21. race — a contest
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. track — to keep track
  24. chair — a leader

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