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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. net — in sport
  3. craft — a skill
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. craft — boats
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. rule — a law
  16. shower — rain
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pit — in a 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