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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cold — an illness
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cold — not warm
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pit — in a race
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. foot — a measure
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. foot — part of the body

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