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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. club — for golf
  4. rash — a series
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rash — hasty
  7. club — for dancing
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. staff — employees
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. club — a group
  20. staff — employees
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pit — in a race

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