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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. present — the time now
  4. spell — a short time
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cue — a hint
  9. row — to paddle
  10. present — a gift
  11. row — a line
  12. spell — magic
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. capital — a city
  15. cue — for pool
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. present — there
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. cue — a signal
  22. capital — money
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. spell — letters

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