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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. can — to be able to
  4. charge — a price
  5. spell — magic
  6. pit — in a race
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. spell — letters
  10. charge — electricity
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. spell — a short time
  13. charge — in control
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. shower — rain
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pit — a hole
  24. can — a tin

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