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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pound — a weight
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pit — in a race
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fine — all right
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rash — a series
  18. sharp — clever
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rash — hasty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. nail — on a finger

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