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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. squash — the sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. charge — in control
  9. roll — a cake
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pit — a hole
  14. court — of law
  15. snap — to click
  16. charge — electricity
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a list
  19. court — of a king
  20. charge — a price
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. court — for sport
  24. mine — belonging to me

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