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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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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fine — all right
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bound — certain
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bound — obliged
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pit — a hole
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bound — tied together
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. tube — the underground
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pit — in a race
  23. tube — a container
  24. deal — a big deal

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