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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. key — in music
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. key — for a lock
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mate — to breed
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rush — hurry
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mate — a friend
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. squash — to crush
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fork — in a road
  22. key — the most important part
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. squash — the sport

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