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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. prune — to trim
  4. file — a line of people
  5. board — a committee
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. swing — in golf
  9. file — a tool
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ball — a dance
  16. swing — music
  17. prune — to trim
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pit — in a race
  24. file — a document

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