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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. last — to go on
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. last — final
  5. snap — to click
  6. squash — the sport
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. pit — a hole
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. last — finally
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. present — a gift
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. squash — to crush
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. craft — a handicraft

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