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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 120 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spell — magic
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rule — a law
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. spell — letters
  11. sharp — clever
  12. spell — a short time
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rule — government
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. staff — employees
  23. mark — a grade
  24. staff — employees

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