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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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468
Word bank
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. present — the time now
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. track — a song
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cell — in biology
  11. present — there
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pit — in a race
  14. club — for golf
  15. charge — in control
  16. present — a gift
  17. cell — a phone
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. charge — a price
  24. track — a path

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