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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rock — music
  4. current — electric
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. toast — bread
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. current — of water
  10. scale — in music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. current — happening now
  17. saw — the tool
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pit — a hole
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rock — a stone

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