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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. charge — in control
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. can — to be able to
  5. last — final
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. charge — a price
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pit — in a race
  12. can — a tin
  13. last — to go on
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. snap — to click
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pit — a hole
  20. can — a tin
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. club — a group
  23. last — finally
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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