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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pass — a permit
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. race — a contest
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. face — to point toward
  7. ball — a great time
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. charge — in control
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pit — in a race
  17. charge — a price
  18. race — humankind
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. face — part of the head
  22. race — the arms race
  23. face — to confront
  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