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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. court — of a king
  6. saw — the tool
  7. court — for sport
  8. swing — to play on
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. saw — the tool
  11. toast — bread
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. court — of law
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. straw — a straw man

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