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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. charge — a price
  3. mug — a face
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. spell — magic
  8. charge — electricity
  9. spell — letters
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. charge — in control
  12. game — a match
  13. spell — a short time
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. game — wild animals
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mug — to rob
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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