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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lean — to bend
  5. last — to go on
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pit — in a race
  8. content — the amount
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pop — music
  11. content — happy
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — soda
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. last — final
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. charge — in control
  19. lean — thin
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. charge — electricity
  24. last — finally

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