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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. game — a match
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fall — the season
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ball — a dance
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. game — wild animals
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rock — a stone
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rock — music
  20. suit — clothes
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pit — a hole

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