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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. net — in sport
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pop — music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. firm — decided
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. firm — a company
  15. pit — a hole
  16. net — after costs
  17. firm — steady
  18. net — for catching
  19. pop — to visit
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pop — soda

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