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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. staff — employees
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. face — part of the head
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. drill — a practice
  11. staff — a stick
  12. face — to confront
  13. stock — goods
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pit — a hole
  16. swing — in golf
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. drill — the tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. swing — music
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. drill — army training
  24. stock — shares

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