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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. spring — of water
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. tube — the underground
  7. spring — the season
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pit — a hole
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. charge — electricity
  14. spring — a coil
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. charge — a price
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. tube — a container

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