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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. row — a line
  6. bound — certain
  7. row — to paddle
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pit — a hole
  12. toast — bread
  13. bound — obliged
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bound — tied together
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. wound — an injury
  24. straw — dry grass

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