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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ground — the earth
  3. charge — in control
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ground — a position
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. charge — electricity
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. charge — a price
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. file — a document
  18. ground — crushed
  19. file — a line of people
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chip — for betting
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. file — a tool

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