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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. current — happening now
  4. pit — in a race
  5. current — of water
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. current — electric
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stock — goods
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chair — a leader
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. charge — a price
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. charge — in control
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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