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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bat — the animal
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. vault — a safe
  8. season — in sport
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pit — in a race
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. season — of the year
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. squash — to crush
  24. charge — a price

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