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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. charge — in control
  4. swing — music
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. swing — to play on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. content — the amount
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pit — a hole
  14. lean — thin
  15. mark — a grade
  16. swing — in golf
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. content — happy
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stem — to come from

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