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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. object — a thing
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. clip — a video
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. present — there
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pit — a hole
  11. object — an aim
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. present — the time now
  19. fine — high quality
  20. object — to protest
  21. pit — in a race
  22. present — a gift
  23. fine — all right
  24. pass — to spend time

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