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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. club — for golf
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cap — a lid
  5. charge — electricity
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pop — to visit
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pop — music
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pop — soda
  15. bound — tied together
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — a price
  21. cap — of ice
  22. chair — a leader
  23. club — a group
  24. bound — certain

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