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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pop — music
  6. club — a group
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pop — soda
  10. row — a line
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. row — to paddle
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. club — for golf
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pit — a hole
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pit — in a race
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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