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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. key — in music
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. key — for a lock
  11. drill — army training
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mug — a face
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mug — a cup
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. key — the most important part

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