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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pop — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pop — soda
  12. charge — electricity
  13. suit — to fit
  14. field — for sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. suit — in cards
  18. charge — in control
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pop — to visit
  24. temple — side of the head

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