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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. charge — in control
  4. last — finally
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. last — final
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pit — a hole
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. charge — a price
  13. pitch — completely
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. kick — in football
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. pit — in a race
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. date — the fruit
  24. last — to go on

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