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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. charge — a price
  3. saw — the tool
  4. object — a thing
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mate — to breed
  7. object — to protest
  8. row — to paddle
  9. charge — in control
  10. row — a line
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mate — a partner
  13. scale — in music
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pit — a hole
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ground — crushed
  20. scale — size or range
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. ground — a position
  23. charge — electricity
  24. object — an aim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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