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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: fork · chest · rule · pit · charge · chair · swing · rash

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. charge — a price
  4. rash — a series
  5. charge — in control
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rule — a law
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. chest — a box
  20. swing — music
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pit — a hole
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rule — government

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