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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. chest — of your body
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bank — for money
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. file — a tool
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chest — of your body
  16. file — a document
  17. charge — in control
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bank — of a river
  21. chest — a box
  22. net — after costs
  23. bank — for money
  24. jam — in traffic

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