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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. charge — a price
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. cap — a lid
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. shower — to wash
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pit — a hole
  23. charge — electricity
  24. shower — rain

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