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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. fine — high quality
  3. charge — a price
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. charge — in control
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. fine — all right
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. jam — a tight spot

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