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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. craft — boats
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pit — in a race
  15. craft — a skill
  16. scale — in music
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rash — a series
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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