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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. track — a song
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. charge — in control
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pit — a hole
  14. capital — a city
  15. pit — in a race
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. track — a path
  18. capital — money
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stock — goods
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rock — a stone
  24. capital — a big letter

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