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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. race — the arms race
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wound — an injury
  11. toast — bread
  12. present — the time now
  13. race — a contest
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. race — humankind
  16. present — a gift
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rest — a break
  20. present — there
  21. wound — an injury
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pit — a hole

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