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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pitch — completely
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. current — of water
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mate — a partner
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pit — a hole
  19. current — happening now
  20. charge — a price
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. current — electric
  24. pit — in a race

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