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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 116 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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. charge — a price
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. can — a tin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. firm — decided
  12. charge — electricity
  13. chair — a leader
  14. charge — in control
  15. can — a tin
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cold — an illness

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