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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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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: arm · track · fan · charge · chair · ground · roll · bulb

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. chair — a leader
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. track — a song
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. ground — a position
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. roll — a list
  16. track — to keep track
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. track — a path
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bulb — for light

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