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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. charge — a price
  5. band — a ring
  6. pit — in a race
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fine — high quality
  11. net — after costs
  12. march — the month
  13. suit — to fit
  14. band — a music group
  15. charge — electricity
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. net — in sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — for catching
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. suit — in cards
  24. charge — in control

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