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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pit — in a race
  5. stand — to bear
  6. charge — electricity
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rock — music
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. season — of the year
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. charge — in control
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bat — the animal
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. dip — to sink
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bat — for baseball

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