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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. charge — electricity
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. charge — in control
  5. pit — a hole
  6. plane — a tool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. saw — the tool
  9. charge — a price
  10. pop — music
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. prune — to trim
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pop — soda
  23. foot — a measure
  24. saw — the tool

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