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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. charge — a price
  4. pit — in a race
  5. stock — shares
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pit — a hole
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. drill — army training
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pitch — completely
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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