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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. track — to keep track
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. present — the time now
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pit — in a race
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. track — a path
  16. pit — a hole
  17. present — a gift
  18. track — a song
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. present — there
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. sharp — exactly

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