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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. hand — help
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mug — a cup
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. net — in sport
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. net — for catching
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mug — a face
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rule — government
  13. mug — to rob
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. net — after costs
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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