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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mark — a trace
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. charge — in control
  7. craft — boats
  8. spell — letters
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rest — a break
  11. charge — a price
  12. spell — magic
  13. firm — decided
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rest — what's left
  19. firm — a company
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mark — a grade
  22. firm — steady
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pit — a hole

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