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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chest — of your body
  4. field — a subject
  5. ball — a great time
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chest — a box
  8. bear — the animal
  9. field — farmland
  10. bear — the animal
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. chair — a leader
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. charge — in control
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. charge — a price
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pass — a permit
  22. field — for sport
  23. ball — a dance
  24. jam — in traffic

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