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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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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 · chair · mug · wake · pound · pit · firm · bear

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mug — a cup
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. firm — a company
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. firm — steady
  7. pound — a weight
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mug — to rob
  18. firm — decided
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mug — a face
  21. charge — in control
  22. pit — in a race
  23. charge — a price
  24. wake — before a funeral

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