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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. shower — to wash
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rule — a law
  8. pit — a hole
  9. file — a tool
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. shower — rain
  15. chip — to eat
  16. file — a document
  17. last — finally
  18. rule — government
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pit — in a race
  21. file — a line of people
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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