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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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. craft — a handicraft
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. last — finally
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. craft — boats
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. last — final
  12. mark — a grade
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pit — in a race
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. charge — a price
  18. pit — a hole
  19. clip — a video
  20. last — to go on
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. clip — for paper
  24. charge — electricity

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