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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. key — the most important part
  3. charge — a price
  4. pit — a hole
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cap — a lid
  9. band — a music group
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pit — in a race
  12. band — a ring
  13. mate — a friend
  14. cap — a hat
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. charge — in control
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. key — in music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. key — for a lock

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