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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. ground — the earth
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pit — in a race
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. ground — crushed
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. craft — a skill
  15. chip — to eat
  16. march — the month
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. craft — boats
  19. march — the month
  20. chip — for betting
  21. march — music
  22. ground — a position
  23. kick — in football
  24. cell — in a prison

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