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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rash — hasty
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — a video
  15. kid — child
  16. rash — a series
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rash — on the skin

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