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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. season — in sport
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. season — of the year
  8. club — a group
  9. mark — a trace
  10. club — for golf
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. file — a document
  14. mark — a grade
  15. club — for dancing
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. file — a line of people
  19. fine — all right
  20. charge — in control
  21. file — a tool
  22. charge — a price
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rush — hurry

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