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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. board — to get on
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. suit — clothes
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fine — high quality
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cell — a phone
  14. suit — in cards
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chair — a leader
  17. board — a committee
  18. cell — in biology
  19. fine — all right
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cell — in a prison

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