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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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pop — to visit
  8. firm — a company
  9. pop — music
  10. firm — steady
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pit — a hole
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pop — soda
  15. spring — of water
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cap — a hat
  21. firm — decided
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. spring — the season

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