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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cold — not warm
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cold — an illness
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pit — a hole
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. foot — a measure
  20. charge — in control
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. cold — the Cold War

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