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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. swing — to play on
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rash — a series
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. scale — in music
  12. rash — hasty
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. spell — letters
  19. chair — a leader
  20. swing — music
  21. content — the amount
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. spell — magic
  24. swing — in golf

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