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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. swing — music
  4. pit — a hole
  5. scale — in music
  6. pit — in a race
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fine — all right
  10. file — a document
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wake — a trail
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. file — a tool
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fine — high quality

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