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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. kick — in football
  4. march — the month
  5. bulb — for light
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. march — music
  11. charge — a price
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. march — the month
  17. branch — a division
  18. chest — a box
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. charge — in control
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pit — a hole
  24. chest — of your body

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