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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. charge — in control
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rest — a break
  7. charge — a price
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chip — for betting
  11. charge — electricity
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rest — what's left
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. tube — a container
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. chip — to eat

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