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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. file — a tool
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lie — to recline
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pit — in a race
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. charge — in control
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. shower — to wash
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. vault — a safe
  18. file — a line of people
  19. chip — to eat
  20. file — a document
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. charge — a price
  23. pit — a hole
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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