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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. saw — the tool
  8. court — of law
  9. charge — a price
  10. court — for sport
  11. file — a document
  12. mate — a partner
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mark — a trace
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mark — a grade
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. court — of a king
  21. snap — to click
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. charge — in control

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