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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. field — for sport
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stock — shares
  11. rule — a law
  12. charge — a price
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rule — government
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. field — farmland
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. field — a subject
  21. stock — goods
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. charge — in control

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