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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. charge — electricity
  4. staff — a stick
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. content — happy
  8. land — a country
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rock — a stone
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. land — to come down
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. object — to protest
  17. content — the amount
  18. land — ground
  19. rock — music
  20. object — a thing
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. object — an aim
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. staff — employees

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