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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cap — of ice
  6. rock — music
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pit — in a race
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rock — a stone
  11. key — the most important part
  12. craft — a skill
  13. key — for a lock
  14. net — in sport
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. fine — all right
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. fine — high quality
  20. key — in music
  21. pit — a hole
  22. craft — boats
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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