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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. land — ground
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. can — a tin
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. content — the amount
  7. can — to be able to
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pit — a hole
  13. march — music
  14. can — a tin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. content — happy
  17. march — the month
  18. land — to come down
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cell — a phone
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. land — a country
  24. march — the month

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