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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mug — a face
  8. fine — high quality
  9. charge — a price
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fine — all right
  12. field — for sport
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pit — in a race
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. charge — in control
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. current — happening now
  24. mug — to rob

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