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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mine — for digging
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pit — a hole
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. club — for golf
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cue — a hint
  21. prune — to trim
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. club — a group

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