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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. charge — in control
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pit — in a race
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. clip — a video
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. suit — to fit
  15. clip — to cut
  16. band — a music group
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pit — a hole
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. charge — a price
  23. band — a ring
  24. ball — a dance

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