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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. chair — a leader
  5. court — of law
  6. sharp — clever
  7. staff — a stick
  8. rush — hurry
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cue — for pool
  11. staff — employees
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cue — a signal
  16. court — of a king
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. court — for sport
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. staff — employees

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