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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cell — in biology
  3. tear — from crying
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. charge — a price
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. net — for catching
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. charge — electricity
  17. tear — from crying
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. charge — in control
  20. cell — a phone
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. tear — to rip

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