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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pound — a weight
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. file — a tool
  7. row — to paddle
  8. craft — boats
  9. cell — a phone
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. file — a document
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. row — a line
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. craft — a skill
  22. file — a line of people
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cell — in a prison

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