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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pit — in a race
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. clip — to cut
  6. pop — music
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. charge — a price
  14. clip — for paper
  15. charge — in control
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. charge — electricity
  18. deal — to handle
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pop — soda
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. clip — a video

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