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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cue — for pool
  6. row — a line
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pit — in a race
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. charge — in control
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pit — a hole
  15. row — to paddle
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. cue — a hint
  22. spell — magic
  23. charge — a price
  24. deal — a big deal

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