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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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468
Word bank
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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. present — there
  3. march — the month
  4. present — a gift
  5. pit — a hole
  6. net — for catching
  7. scale — in music
  8. kick — in football
  9. net — after costs
  10. rule — government
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. present — the time now
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pit — in a race
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. net — in sport
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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