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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. file — a line of people
  3. date — the fruit
  4. pass — a permit
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. file — a document
  11. row — a line
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. file — a tool
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — a phone
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wake — a trail
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pass — to succeed

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