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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bass — the fish
  6. net — in sport
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. roll — a list
  12. date — the fruit
  13. face — to confront
  14. bass — low music
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. face — part of the head
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. net — after costs
  22. face — to point toward
  23. net — for catching
  24. rest — what's left

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