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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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. net — in sport
  4. press — newspapers
  5. charge — electricity
  6. chair — a leader
  7. capital — a city
  8. track — to keep track
  9. capital — money
  10. present — the time now
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. present — a gift
  13. charge — in control
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. press — to push
  19. track — a path
  20. net — after costs
  21. charge — a price
  22. press — a publisher
  23. net — for catching
  24. present — there

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