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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: pit · lash · pitch · object · bore · charge · cell · fork

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. object — a thing
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bore — to drill
  5. charge — a price
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cell — a phone
  8. charge — in control
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. object — an aim
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bore — to tire
  19. object — to protest
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cell — in biology
  23. charge — electricity
  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