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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. club — a group
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. pit — in a race
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. charge — electricity
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. club — for golf
  20. charge — a price
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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