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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. spell — a short time
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. spell — magic
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. spell — letters

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