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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. land — ground
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. charge — electricity
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stock — shares
  7. land — a country
  8. mug — a face
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chair — a leader
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. land — to come down
  16. mug — a cup
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mug — to rob
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. charge — in control
  23. pitch — completely
  24. charge — a price

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