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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fine — all right
  3. current — of water
  4. charge — in control
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bark — to shout
  9. current — happening now
  10. band — a ring
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. band — a music group
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pit — a hole
  18. current — electric
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fine — high quality
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fan — a supporter

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