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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: roll · charge · pit · pitcher · chair · saw · face · bark

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. saw — the tool
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. saw — the tool
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. charge — in control
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. charge — electricity
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. charge — a price
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. roll — a list
  23. bark — to shout
  24. face — part of the head

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