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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fork — in a road
  7. charge — a price
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. charge — in control
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cold — not warm
  15. ball — a great time
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. ball — a dance

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