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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. charge — electricity
  7. band — a music group
  8. charge — in control
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cap — of ice
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pound — a weight
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pit — a hole
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. charge — a price
  17. fork — in a road
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. band — a ring
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. game — a match

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