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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: ball · cell · track · rule · tube · charge · chair · bay

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cell — in biology
  8. chair — a leader
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rule — a law
  11. track — a song
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. track — a path
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. ball — a great time
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rule — government
  23. charge — a price
  24. tube — a container

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