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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. prune — to trim
  3. roll — a list
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. roll — a cake
  9. march — music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — a hole
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mate — to breed
  16. prune — to trim
  17. march — the month
  18. mate — a partner
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mate — a friend
  24. march — the month

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