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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. charge — a price
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wax — to grow
  10. club — for golf
  11. fine — all right
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. club — for dancing
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pit — a hole
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. club — a group
  23. pit — in a race
  24. charge — in control

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