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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pop — music
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. track — a path
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rest — a break
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pop — soda
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. shower — rain
  24. stand — on your feet

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