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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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 leader
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pit — a hole
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. face — to confront
  9. root — of a plant
  10. club — a group
  11. charge — in control
  12. root — of a word
  13. charge — a price
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pit — in a race
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. club — for golf
  18. vault — a safe
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. charge — electricity
  23. root — the cause
  24. face — to point toward

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