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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · pop · pit · cell · chair · temple

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pop — soda
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pit — a hole
  14. cell — in biology
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. charge — a price

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