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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rock — music
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. band — a music group
  7. pop — soda
  8. staff — employees
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. staff — employees
  14. squash — the sport
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pop — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pit — in a race
  20. squash — to crush
  21. band — a ring
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pound — a weight

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