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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 120 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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. current — of water
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mine — for digging
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pit — a hole
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. charge — a price
  15. current — happening now
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. charge — in control
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mark — a grade
  23. current — electric
  24. mine — belonging to me

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