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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. land — to come down
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. land — ground
  13. clip — to cut
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. land — a country
  21. clip — a video
  22. craft — boats
  23. clip — for paper
  24. ball — a dance

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