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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. ground — the earth
  3. present — a gift
  4. pound — a weight
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. chip — for betting
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. ground — crushed
  14. present — there
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pit — in a race
  17. chip — to eat
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ground — a position
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. present — the time now
  24. racket — a loud noise

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