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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ground · chair · race · suit · pass · leaves · spring

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. spring — the season
  3. charge — in control
  4. suit — in cards
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. race — the arms race
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. spring — of water
  15. ground — a position
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. ground — the earth
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — a leader
  20. suit — clothes
  21. spring — a coil
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pass — a permit
  24. chair — to sit on

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