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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pit — a hole
  5. snap — to click
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. charge — a price
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. charge — in control
  14. pop — soda
  15. pit — in a race
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. degree — temperature
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. charge — electricity
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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