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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. hand — in cards
  4. board — a committee
  5. prune — to trim
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. board — to get on
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pit — a hole
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rest — what's left
  13. track — a song
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. hand — help
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rest — a break
  18. present — a gift
  19. track — a path
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. present — there
  22. rest — what's left
  23. present — the time now
  24. prune — to trim

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