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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. chip — to eat
  12. band — a music group
  13. rock — music
  14. pit — a hole
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. game — a match
  23. chip — for betting
  24. band — a ring

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