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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pop — to visit
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pit — in a race
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. dip — to sink
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — soda
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. chest — a box
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pop — music
  23. chest — of your body
  24. nail — for a hammer

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