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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pit — in a race
  3. current — happening now
  4. charge — electricity
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. charge — in control
  7. kick — in football
  8. bat — the animal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. current — of water
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. current — electric
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. charge — a price
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pit — a hole
  21. snap — to click
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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