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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 116 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. kid — to tease
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bound — certain
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pop — to visit
  8. snap — to click
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bound — obliged
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pop — soda
  15. pitch — completely
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pop — music
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kid — child
  21. rest — a break
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rest — what's left

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