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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. hand — in cards
  3. charge — a price
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. clip — for paper
  6. can — a tin
  7. pit — in a race
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. pit — a hole
  11. charge — in control
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. hand — help
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. can — to be able to
  17. club — for golf
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pass — a permit
  22. can — a tin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pass — to spend time

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