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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stand — to bear
  4. last — final
  5. cue — for pool
  6. charge — in control
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pit — in a race
  10. file — a tool
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. last — to go on
  13. suit — in cards
  14. file — a document
  15. last — finally
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. suit — clothes

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