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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.

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: bat · charge · chair · saw · toast · mark · pit · can

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bat — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. charge — in control
  6. pit — in a race
  7. saw — the tool
  8. charge — electricity
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. can — to be able to
  13. charge — a price
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. toast — bread
  18. pit — a hole
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. can — a tin
  21. chair — a leader
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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