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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pound — a weight
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. net — in sport
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. net — for catching
  13. rule — a law
  14. net — after costs
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. row — a line
  17. pit — in a race
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. game — a match
  21. bulb — for light
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rule — government
  24. pass — a permit

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