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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. shower — to wash
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. root — of a word
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. shower — rain
  11. object — a thing
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. staff — employees
  14. pit — a hole
  15. prune — to trim
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pit — in a race
  18. prune — to trim
  19. object — to protest
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. object — an aim
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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