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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: row · court · charge · stand · chair · rush · stick · wind

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. charge — in control
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. charge — a price
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. wind — moving air
  9. court — of law
  10. row — a line
  11. rush — hurry
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. court — of a king
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stand — to bear
  18. court — for sport
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. charge — electricity

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