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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. spell — letters
  3. charge — a price
  4. mug — a face
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. court — of a king
  7. pit — a hole
  8. club — a group
  9. tear — to rip
  10. club — for golf
  11. row — to paddle
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mug — to rob
  15. charge — in control
  16. mug — a cup
  17. charge — electricity
  18. court — for sport
  19. row — a line
  20. spell — a short time
  21. club — for dancing
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. court — of law
  24. spell — magic

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