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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pit — in a race
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. march — music
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mug — a face
  8. pit — a hole
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. land — ground
  14. march — the month
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. march — the month
  20. mug — to rob
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. leaves — to go away

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