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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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. charge — in control
  3. pit — a hole
  4. charge — a price
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pit — in a race
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. march — the month
  11. band — a music group
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a ring
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. march — the month
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cell — a phone
  22. march — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fan — a supporter

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