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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. charge — a price
  5. pop — soda
  6. pit — in a race
  7. charge — electricity
  8. degree — an amount
  9. charge — in control
  10. degree — temperature
  11. last — to go on
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pop — to visit
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — a phone
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. degree — from a university

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