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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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. lean — thin
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rock — a stone
  6. firm — decided
  7. pop — to visit
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pop — music
  10. lean — to bend
  11. chest — a box
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. firm — steady
  14. march — the month
  15. pop — soda
  16. rock — music
  17. march — music
  18. firm — a company
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chest — of your body
  24. march — the month

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