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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cap — a lid
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cap — a hat
  10. charge — in control
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wax — to grow
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. charge — a price
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. charge — electricity
  24. stock — a soup base

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