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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. hand — in cards
  9. craft — boats
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fine — all right
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. hand — help
  14. pop — soda
  15. rock — music
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. craft — a skill
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pop — music
  24. fine — high quality

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