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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cue — a hint
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. perch — the fish
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pit — in a race
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. cue — a signal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cue — for pool
  17. lie — to recline
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rash — a series
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. squash — to crush
  24. perch — for a bird

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