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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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Word bank
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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: net · charge · lean · rule · pit · sharp

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. net — for catching
  3. charge — in control
  4. pit — in a race
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rule — government
  11. lean — thin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rule — a law
  15. pit — a hole
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs

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