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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pit — in a race
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. net — after costs
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rush — hurry
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. net — in sport
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. net — for catching
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. fork — in a road

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