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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — a price
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. charge — electricity
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pit — a hole
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pitch — completely
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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