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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. charge — in control
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. swing — in golf
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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