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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wound — an injury
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pit — a hole
  6. charge — in control
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. charge — a price
  16. bulb — for light
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ground — the earth

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