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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rock — music
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. face — to point toward
  6. chip — for betting
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rest — what's left
  10. face — part of the head
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rest — what's left
  13. date — the fruit
  14. face — to confront
  15. rest — a break
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fine — high quality
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rock — to move gently

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