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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: pit · staff · charge · pop · mark · spell · cabinet · wake

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. staff — employees
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spell — letters
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. spell — magic
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. charge — in control
  17. staff — employees
  18. charge — a price
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wake — a trail
  21. charge — electricity
  22. staff — a stick
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pit — a hole

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