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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — a price
  3. drill — the tool
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. roll — a list
  6. drill — army training
  7. cue — a hint
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. dip — to sink
  10. drill — a practice
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rule — a law
  14. pit — in a race
  15. cue — a signal
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. roll — a cake
  20. pit — a hole
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — government

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