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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. row — a line
  4. season — of the year
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wound — an injury
  8. current — happening now
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. season — in sport
  12. row — to paddle
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. current — of water
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. current — electric
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fork — in a road

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