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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. suit — to fit
  4. march — the month
  5. net — for catching
  6. stem — to come from
  7. march — the month
  8. net — in sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. suit — in cards
  14. march — music
  15. net — after costs
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. suit — clothes

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