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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pit — in a race
  9. charge — in control
  10. file — a document
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. charge — a price
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. file — a line of people
  15. roll — a list
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. file — a tool
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. charge — electricity
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. craft — boats

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