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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.

Make a worksheet

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: suit · hide · charge · rule · date · saw · chair · field

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. field — for sport
  5. date — the fruit
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. charge — in control
  11. field — farmland
  12. saw — the tool
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rule — a law
  20. charge — electricity
  21. field — a subject
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chair — a leader
  24. charge — a price

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