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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. season — in sport
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. charge — in control
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pit — in a race
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wax — to grow
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. board — a committee
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. season — of the year
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pit — a hole
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. charge — a price
  24. board — to get on

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