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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.

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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. charge — in control
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mine — for digging
  6. charge — a price
  7. rock — music
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. key — in music
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rock — a stone
  19. key — the most important part
  20. season — of the year
  21. mark — a grade
  22. charge — electricity
  23. can — a tin
  24. mark — to pay attention

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