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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. season — of the year
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. season — in sport
  5. pit — a hole
  6. charge — in control
  7. ball — a dance
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pit — in a race
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. ball — a great time
  13. roll — a cake
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. roll — a list
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pitcher — a jug

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