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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. charge — in control
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cell — a phone
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. root — of a plant
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pit — a hole
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. stand — to bear
  17. race — humankind
  18. root — of a word
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. root — the cause
  22. pit — in a race
  23. charge — a price
  24. chair — to sit on

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