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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. row — a line
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. land — ground
  5. object — an aim
  6. charge — in control
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. charge — a price
  10. mark — a trace
  11. row — to paddle
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — to protest
  21. pit — a hole
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pit — in a race

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