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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. land — a country
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. firm — steady
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. land — ground
  9. mine — for digging
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lean — thin
  12. cue — a hint
  13. firm — decided
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. land — to come down
  23. pit — a hole
  24. firm — a company

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