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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. band — a music group
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. band — a ring
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. root — of a word
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. charge — a price
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pit — a hole
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. mine — for digging
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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