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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. hand — in cards
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mug — a face
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cue — a signal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cue — a hint
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pit — in a race
  16. hand — help
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mug — to rob
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cue — for pool
  21. swing — music
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. swing — to play on
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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