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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. charge — a price
  3. staff — employees
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. staff — employees
  8. saw — the tool
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. track — a path
  13. swing — in golf
  14. sharp — clever
  15. swing — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. swing — to play on
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. track — a song
  20. charge — in control
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. charge — electricity
  23. staff — a stick
  24. track — to keep track

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