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

Word bank: stick · ruler · charge · roll · kid · chair

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. kid — child
  3. charge — in control
  4. kid — to tease
  5. chair — a leader
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. charge — a price
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. charge — electricity
  17. roll — a list
  18. chair — a professorship

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