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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pit — in a race
  3. land — ground
  4. swing — to play on
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. swing — music
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. staff — employees
  12. land — to come down
  13. charge — a price
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. staff — employees
  16. lie — to recline
  17. land — a country
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pit — a hole
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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