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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bore — to tire
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stand — to bear
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. key — in music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pit — a hole
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pit — in a race
  15. row — a line
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. craft — boats
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stem — to come from

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