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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. squash — the sport
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. can — a tin
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. file — a tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. charge — a price
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stand — to bear
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. pass — a permit
  20. file — a document
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. can — a tin
  23. date — the fruit
  24. vault — a safe

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