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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — a friend
  7. can — to be able to
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. can — a tin
  13. chip — to eat
  14. spell — magic
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pit — in a race
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. chip — in a computer

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