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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rock — music
  4. vault — a safe
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fine — all right
  7. capital — money
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. capital — a city
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. charge — a price
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pitcher — a jug

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