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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: kid · chair · bank · bay · charge · present · cap · mate

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bank — for money
  4. kid — to tease
  5. present — there
  6. kid — child
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cap — a lid
  10. present — the time now
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. present — a gift
  16. mate — a partner
  17. charge — in control
  18. cap — of ice
  19. charge — a price
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mate — to breed
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. charge — electricity

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