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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. spell — a short time
  4. charge — a price
  5. land — to come down
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. net — for catching
  11. prune — to trim
  12. land — a country
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pit — a hole
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. charge — in control
  20. rock — music
  21. charge — electricity
  22. land — ground
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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