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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ground — the earth
  3. drill — the tool
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bound — certain
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pit — a hole
  11. fine — high quality
  12. ground — a position
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rest — a break
  15. charge — in control
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fine — all right
  19. drill — army training
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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