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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bat — the animal
  10. vault — a safe
  11. sharp — clever
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. band — a ring
  15. pit — in a race
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. band — a music group
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pass — a permit
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. can — to be able 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