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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · stick · pit · suit · drill · charge

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — in control
  4. race — humankind
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — in a race
  12. suit — in cards
  13. drill — the tool
  14. race — a contest
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. drill — army training
  18. race — the arms race

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