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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pit — in a race
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. charge — a price
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stand — to bear
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. can — a tin
  18. pit — a hole
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. can — a tin
  22. charge — in control
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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