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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. firm — a company
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pass — a permit
  8. charge — in control
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. firm — decided
  11. game — a match
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. firm — steady
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. charge — a price
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. fall — to drop
  23. game — wild animals
  24. charge — electricity

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