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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bore — to tire
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pit — in a race
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. deal — to handle
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rest — what's left
  16. roll — a list
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rest — a break
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. row — a quarrel

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