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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. pit — a hole
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. season — of the year
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. charge — in control
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. charge — a price
  15. bat — the animal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. season — in sport
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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