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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mark — a grade
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. pit — in a race
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. rash — a series
  16. mark — a trace
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pit — a hole

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