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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rule — a law
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stem — to come from
  6. ball — a dance
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pit — in a race
  9. content — happy
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. content — the amount
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cap — a lid
  19. snap — to click
  20. cap — of ice
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. fine — all right
  24. ball — a great time

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