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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mug — a face
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cap — of ice
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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