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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. land — a country
  3. pit — in a race
  4. prune — to trim
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. spell — letters
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rash — hasty
  9. spell — magic
  10. land — to come down
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rash — a series
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mug — to rob
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mug — a cup
  20. land — ground
  21. pit — a hole
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rash — on the skin

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