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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. court — of law
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rock — a stone
  9. file — a tool
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rock — music
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. snap — to click
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. court — for sport
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. court — of a king

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