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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. band — a ring
  5. pop — music
  6. band — a music group
  7. pop — to visit
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. roll — a cake
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. lie — to recline
  13. content — the amount
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. roll — a list
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pop — soda
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. content — happy
  21. pit — a hole
  22. drill — a practice
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. drill — army training

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