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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pit — in a race
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. pit — a hole
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. deal — to handle
  10. craft — boats
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cold — not warm
  20. rest — a break
  21. cold — an illness
  22. rest — what's left
  23. craft — a skill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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