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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. charge — in control
  4. tube — a container
  5. can — a tin
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. charge — a price
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mate — to breed
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. can — a tin
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wake — a trail
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mate — a friend
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. coach — a trainer

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