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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. charge — in control
  3. file — a line of people
  4. charge — electricity
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bound — certain
  7. wound — an injury
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. drill — army training
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. file — a document
  16. bound — tied together
  17. drill — the tool
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. file — a tool
  21. pit — a hole
  22. charge — a price
  23. racket — for tennis
  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