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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. charge — in control
  4. scale — size or range
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pit — in a race
  8. chip — for betting
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pit — a hole
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. degree — temperature
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wax — to grow
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. charge — a price

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