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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. club — for golf
  3. mine — for digging
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. ball — a great time
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. club — a group
  8. pit — in a race
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. club — for dancing
  11. ball — a dance
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. snap — to click
  15. pit — a hole
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. jam — in traffic

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