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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 120 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: pass · stick · present · wound · pit · chair · ball · charge

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. ball — a dance
  11. charge — in control
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pass — a permit
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wound — an injury

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