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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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. ground — crushed
  3. swing — in golf
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pit — in a race
  8. track — a song
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. swing — music
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ball — a great time
  16. track — a path
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ground — a position
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. swing — to play on

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