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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cue — a signal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pit — in a race
  7. object — a thing
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. last — final
  11. pit — a hole
  12. cue — for pool
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. last — to go on
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. charge — in control
  21. cue — a hint
  22. object — to protest
  23. last — finally
  24. object — an aim

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