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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pit — a hole
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cold — an illness
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. firm — decided
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. firm — a company
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. firm — steady
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cold — not warm

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