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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bound — certain
  6. charge — in control
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. current — of water
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bound — tied together
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pitch — completely
  15. charge — electricity
  16. spell — magic
  17. wake — a trail
  18. charge — a price
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. current — happening now
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. current — electric
  24. bound — obliged

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