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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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 — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wound — an injury
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mark — a trace
  10. craft — a skill
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. clip — to cut
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. craft — boats
  15. toast — bread
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. sharp — clever
  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