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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. charge — a price
  3. spring — the season
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pit — a hole
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. game — a match
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spring — of water
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pit — in a race
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spring — a coil
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. row — a line
  21. charge — in control
  22. date — the fruit
  23. charge — electricity
  24. game — wild animals

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