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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — steady
  4. staff — a stick
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rush — hurry
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pit — a hole
  15. staff — employees
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. firm — decided
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. firm — a company
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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