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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. content — the amount
  5. club — for dancing
  6. content — happy
  7. club — for golf
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pit — a hole
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. club — a group
  18. fork — to eat with

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