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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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Word bank
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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. charge — a price
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pop — soda
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. season — in sport
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cell — in biology
  18. charge — in control
  19. season — of the year
  20. pit — a hole
  21. charge — electricity
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. racket — for tennis

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