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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. charge — a price
  3. game — wild animals
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. prune — to trim
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. game — a match
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pass — a permit
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. charge — in control
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. chair — a professorship

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