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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. row — a line
  7. clip — to cut
  8. object — a thing
  9. present — a gift
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. object — an aim
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. object — to protest
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. clip — a video
  17. wake — a trail
  18. charge — in control
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pit — a hole
  22. charge — a price
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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