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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. club — for golf
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. cell — in biology
  7. club — a group
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. game — a match
  10. charge — in control
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. charge — a price
  16. club — for dancing
  17. game — wild animals
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rest — what's left
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. game — a kind of play

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