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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bank — for money
  4. squash — to crush
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. net — after costs
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pit — a hole
  15. net — in sport
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. net — for catching
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. hand — help

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