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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. club — for golf
  3. charge — in control
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. charge — electricity
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spring — the season
  11. charge — a price
  12. lie — to recline
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. spring — of water
  21. club — for dancing
  22. band — a ring
  23. club — a group
  24. spring — a coil

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