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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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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. content — happy
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pit — a hole
  12. ground — a position
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rest — a break
  16. season — in sport
  17. object — an aim
  18. mug — a face
  19. pit — in a race
  20. content — the amount
  21. mug — a cup
  22. object — to protest
  23. season — of the year
  24. object — a thing

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