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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. fine — all right
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rush — hurry
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. snap — to click
  21. pit — in a race
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. game — a match
  24. bear — the animal

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