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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pit — in a race
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. charge — electricity
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. pit — a hole
  11. snap — to click
  12. present — there
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pop — soda
  17. rash — a series
  18. capital — money
  19. charge — a price
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. charge — in control
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  24. capital — a city

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