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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. firm — steady
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. race — a contest
  8. firm — a company
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. firm — decided
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pass — a permit
  20. race — humankind
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pit — in a race
  24. trunk — of a tree

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