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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. charge — a price
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. press — a publisher
  9. plane — a tool
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. kid — to tease
  13. swing — music
  14. kid — child
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. swing — to play on
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. swing — in golf
  20. craft — boats
  21. charge — electricity
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. charge — in control
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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