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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. charge — a price
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mouse — for a computer

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