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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. land — ground
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pass — a permit
  10. land — a country
  11. present — the time now
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — the amount
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. shower — rain
  19. land — to come down
  20. content — happy
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. pit — in a race

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