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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rock — music
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. rest — a break
  6. roll — a list
  7. craft — boats
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. chest — of your body
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. chest — a box
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — in a race

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