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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 116 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. mug — to rob
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mug — a face
  12. charge — in control
  13. pit — in a race
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. track — a song
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mine — for digging

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