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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 120 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pit — a hole
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. shower — rain
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pit — in a race
  8. foot — a measure
  9. land — to come down
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. charge — in control
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. charge — electricity
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — a country
  17. charge — a price
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. land — ground
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — the animal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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