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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pit — in a race
  3. shower — rain
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. net — in sport
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. shower — to wash
  14. deal — to handle
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fork — in a road
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. toast — bread
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. mine — for digging

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