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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 120 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rule — government
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bore — to tire
  7. chip — for betting
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pit — in a race
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. current — electric
  15. ball — a dance
  16. chip — to eat
  17. band — a music group
  18. ball — a great time
  19. band — a ring
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. rule — a law
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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