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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cap — a hat
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. drill — army training
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. charge — in control
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rock — music
  18. charge — a price
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. game — a match
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. drill — the tool
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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