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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. drill — army training
  3. object — an aim
  4. root — of a word
  5. drill — the tool
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. object — a thing
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pit — a hole
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pit — in a race
  15. object — to protest
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. drill — a practice
  18. root — the cause

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