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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. rule — government
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. saw — the tool
  8. toast — bread
  9. roll — a list
  10. rule — a law
  11. roll — a cake
  12. saw — the tool
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bound — tied together
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. prune — to trim

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