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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pop — soda
  3. date — the fruit
  4. net — for catching
  5. pop — to visit
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pop — music
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pit — a hole
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. pit — in a race
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. date — on the calendar

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