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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. roll — a list
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. land — a country
  5. fine — high quality
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. roll — a cake
  11. dip — to sink
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. land — to come down
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. land — ground
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pit — a hole
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. prune — to trim

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