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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pit — a hole
  5. game — wild animals
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. charge — in control
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. dip — to sink
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pit — in a race
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. charge — a price
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. game — a match

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